Did you know that there is evidence that only 11 percent of girls ages 5 to 8 get the recommended hour a day of physical? This is especially disturbing when you realize that 42 percent of boys of the same age group get their recommended exercise. These statistics were reported by the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Believe it or not, there is still a gender gap in school gym classes – meaning that girls don’t have the same opportunity to get the same amount of exercise as boys. And girls aren’t as encouraged to exercise and feel less confident in doing it than their male peers.
What can parents do to help turn this trend around? After all, we’re talking about setting healthy habits that can impact lifetime exercise attitudes.
Moms can set the example. Even if you weren’t the best at a particular activity, help your daughter to learn it. Sometimes simply spending time working at skills can make all the difference in her attitude about doing it. As the ultimate example, Mom may even participate in a sport or exercise activity that her daughter can observe or join her in.
Make sure she has options. More stats from our archiving friends show that girls enter sports later and exit earlier than boys. Open up opportunities for your daughter to try many different things so she can choose one or more sports or activities to learn and participate in.
Take your daughter to see others – especially older kids – or even adults. “Younger children admire what the kids just a little older are doing. This is true of both boys and girls! So take your daughter to see some older kids participate in a variety of sports. Maybe it’s to see a game or meet that a cousin or church friend is participating in. Many girls also enjoy seeing professional sports. Don’t assume this is just something for fathers and sons to do.
As a swim school instructors, owners, and parents of three girls, we believe that introducing girls to swimming is the best possible answer for this. Both girls and boys can participate in swimming at whatever level they choose – whether at highly competitive levels, just as exercise or simply to be safe around water. Even though everyone doesn’t have a pool at home, it is still an easy activity to participate in if you just seek out places offering swim options to children. Little Otter has classes that meet practically any need you may have to get not just your little girls but also your little boys involved in one of the best exercises that they can learn for their physical and mental well-being.
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