Top 5 Fitness Tips for Youth During Covid
Mikki Lee Martin
12-15-20
- Create Daily Movement habits (that transfer)
- Emphasize quality and consistency, prior to intensity
- Encourage Experimentation and Exploration of movement
- Use Novelty
- Individualize- do what works for the individual
1. Do “X” 5 x day, 5 days a week, for 10-15 minutes each time. This will work now, while stuck at home but also later when things return to a more normal schedule. Make sure the concept of consistent movement throughout the day is emphasized over when or where it actually occurs.
2. By definition, all youth are developing humans, and need these movement habits to repeat movement that is helpful and supports that development.(Quality movement, happening often)
Getting better at something is a great motivator.
3. Think of experimentation and exploration as expansion of movement IQ. The more ways a movement problem can be solved by an individual, the more movement intelligence he or she gains.
4. Kids and Teens are BORED by the necessities of quarantine/pandemic life. Same environment, limited group of social interactions, etc. Make sure movement opportunities do not reflect this repetition, but rather present novel opportunities to move.
5. Care for the individual. What works for a sedentary 10 year old and a high energy 4 year old are clearly not the same. Some kids are motivated by leadership, but not movement- use that. Some kids are very sports minded- make use of that. Some kids want to be part of the planning, include them.
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