Importance of Staying Active During Virtual Learning
College of DuPage Nursing Student Silvia Delgado shared with Healthy Lombard that Virtual learning can be very stressful, but exercise is one of the most important activities to fight stress during these challenging times. Although it may seem a bit harder to stay active during a global pandemic and a massive shut down, it is extremely important for health. Children especially, require physical activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2020) children between 3 and 5 years of age need physical activity throughout the day for growth and development. Children and adolescents age 6 through 17 years should get at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.
There are many ways and activities to motivate your child to stay active. Virtual PE (physical education), a website featuring links for physical activity, is a great resource to help the family stay active while at home. This website includes, Just Dance, a YouTube channel that has dance challenges as part of a music video that provides an easy way for adults and children to get moving and dancing. Another link featured on this website is Cosmic Kids Yoga, which provides videos with yoga moves for younger children. A different option that may be more appropriate for older children is the Nike Training Club app, which provides free workout content. Selecting the right activity for your child is important as different ages are appropriate for different interests and abilities. It is much easier to motivate your child to exercise when they perceive it as a fun activity. Read more