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One in five school-age children in America is over the age of 95thBody mass index (BMI) percentile, which indicates obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The result is an increase in health risk factors, social struggles and future health risks for these children. Likewise, the American Heart Association suggests that childhood obesity is currently the most important youth-related health problem for parents. This now obscures concerns about drug and alcohol use.
This three-fold increase in childhood obesity has been largely attributed to an increase in caloric intake and a decrease in physical activity. Children eat more and exercise less than they did 30 or 40 years ago.
Now that the culprits have been identified, the solution to childhood obesity appears to be a simple one. We just need to motivate children to move more and eat less. Problem solved. However, anyone who works with children understands that motivating children to change their habits can be challenging.
The interaction of a child's brain development period and the resulting psychology makes children more impulsive, more emotional, and less able to judge the relationship between actions and outcomes. As adults, we cannot assume that children are motivated by the same things that motivate us.
How then can we inspire “unmotivated” children to change their health-related habits? Here are three strategies that have been studied both in research and in my nearly 20 years of working with children of all physical abilities and motivation levels. While changing dietary habits is essential, the focus of interventions here is on exercise habits.
Three key components to motivating an unmotivated child to exercise are:
- Teilnahme der Eltern
- Erleichterung der wahrgenommenen Kompetenz
- Bildung
Parent participation
Children reflect their parents' behavior. When it comes to health, research published in theInternational Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Disorderssuggests that having an obese parent triples the likelihood of obesity in children. Having two obese parents increases the odds tenfold. The study also suggests that for a child to be successful with a behavior change strategy, at least one parent must participate.
It is important to consider the actions, behaviors and beliefs about physical activity at home. When children hear their parents talk about healthy habits as a kind of punishment for indulgence, their perception of physical activity undoubtedly becomes negative.
One of the most positive things you can do as a parent is to engage in physical activity with your children. It's important that they see that you enjoy being active. While it has been suggested that limiting screen time in adolescents can help improve health, the same is true for adults as well. Getting up from the couch to engage with your children has several benefits for everyone involved.
Facilitation of perceived competence
There was a time when children played physically rigorous games in their free time, participated in daily physical education classes at school, and had the opportunity to play various sports throughout the year. This gave the children plenty of opportunities to find activities they enjoyed. Granted, there were still kids who weren't interested in rigorous physical activities, but there were plenty of options.
Currently, interacting with technology takes up the average child's free time, and very few schools have frequent physical education classes. Participation in sports has become the main reason for physical activity among young people. If a child does not participate in the few sports they may be exposed to, a negative attitude toward their own physical competence can form.
Research suggests that a child's level of perceived competence and autonomy in an activity is a powerful motivator. Children and adults are more likely to do what they think is good.
To promote this, it is important to expose children to a wide range of physical activity. Competitive sports are a small part of the way children can relate to exercise. As your children's fitness mentor, you may need to think outside the box to help them discover activities they enjoy.
Exercise doesn't have to be a high-intensity, heart-pounding, competitive endeavor. A low-intensity playful activity can help get kids off the couch. For example, something like juggling may not burn many calories, but it does build hand-eye coordination, rhythm, and other sensory skills. Practicing this activity could make things like catching a ball, dancing, or other high-intensity activities easier. Of course, depending on the child, this may not be the case. However, any activity that requires movement is better for a child's health than sitting and watching TV.
Education
As previously mentioned, young children often lack the mental ability to tie their present actions to future outcomes. It's difficult to motivate a child to "find exercise that you enjoy now, or you may have problems with your health as an adult." However, research into physical/health education in schools suggests that children's participation, motivation and adherence to exercise improves when they understand why they do what they do.
When encouraging or participating in physical activity with children, highlight how physical activity benefits their lives outside of the standard answers of "weight loss, health, and performance improvement." For example, ask them how they feel after training. They are usually energetic, alert and even more focused. A more comprehensive understanding of the importance of exercise and health increases the likelihood that children will identify with something that is relevant to them, making it a lifelong habit.
Try these three motivational approaches with your children to inspire them to be active for life!