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wikiHow to Get Fit (for Kids)

Three Parts:Maintaining a Healthy Diet at HomeEating Healthy at SchoolAdding Physical Activity to Your Daily RoutineCommunity Q&A

It can be difficult to get fit and stay healthy as a kid, especially if you are busy with school work, extracurricular activities and a social life. You may also spend a lot of time browsing on your phone or playing video games, activities that may be fun but do not require you to work up much of a sweat. To get fit, you should maintain a healthy diet at home and at school, and add more exercise into your daily routine.

Part 1
Maintaining a Healthy Diet at Home

  1. 1
    Add fruits and vegetables to your diet. You should consider your current diet and try to add in healthier food choices, like more fruits and vegetables. Eating fresh produce can help you stay fit and healthy.[1]
    • Make sure you have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, scattered throughout your meals. This may mean that you have one to two servings of fruits and vegetables at breakfast, a serving of fruit and/or veggies at lunch, another serving as a snack, and a final serving at dinner. One serving of fruits could be an apple or a banana. One serving of vegetables could be 1/2 cup of raw, chopped vegetables or 1 cup of leafy green vegetables like spinach or kale.[2]
  2. 2
    Have healthy grains and proteins. Grains and proteins help give you enough energy to stay upbeat and have energy through your day. Having healthy grains, which do not include very much fat, starch, or sugar, will help your metabolism stay healthy and keep your immune system strong.[3]
    • Go for healthy grains like brown rice or quinoa instead of pasta and white rice. Opt for lean sources of protein like baked chicken or baked fish, rather than lots of red meat and salty lunch meats.
  3. 3
    Make a meal plan with your parents. To kickstart your healthy eating, you should sit down with your parents or guardians and make a meal plan. Collaborate with them to choose healthy meals that cover the five major food groups, as eating a variety of foods will ensure you maintain a healthy diet.[4]
    • Look up healthy recipes online and choose four to five of them to prepare for the week. Write out the ingredients for the recipes and make a shopping list so when you go with your parents to the grocery store, you know exactly what you are getting.
    • Sticking to a meal plan will also ensure you do not buy junk food or unhealthy food on a whim. Even if your parents do not want to do a meal plan with you, you can make your own meal plan and ask them if you can buy your own groceries when you all go to the supermarket.
  4. 4
    Help your parents prepare meals. Get involved in meal making and preparing food, as this will allow you to choose healthy ingredients and know exactly what is in your food. Offer to do small things in the kitchen to help out your parents while they cook. They will likely appreciate the help and this way you have direct contact with your food before you eat it.
    • You may not feel comfortable using a knife, and your parents may not want you to use one either. Think of other things you can do to help out in the kitchen and get involved, like peeling vegetables or washing and cleaning fruit. You could also do the dishes or keep the counter clean for your parents while they cook.
  5. 5
    Replace junk food with healthy snacks. Maybe you have a weakness for chips and candy or you can’t get enough of cookies and cake. You may need to get rid of junk food in your home or ask your parents to keep junk food somewhere you cannot get to. This way, you are less tempted to snack on junk food when you are at home.
    • Try to replace junk food with healthy alternatives, like unbuttered popcorn, nuts, or sliced fruits and vegetables. Dark chocolate, in moderation, can also be a good alternative to sugary treats.

Part 2
Eating Healthy at School

  1. 1
    Drink milk or water. Your school cafeteria likely offers you a carton of milk at lunch and drinking milk as a kid can help to build strong bones and give your body much needed minerals. Try to drink water when you are thirsty to stay hydrated and make sure you are having around two cups of milk a day to keep your calcium levels up.[5]
    • You can also have other sources of dairy, like a slice of cheddar cheese or a small container of yogurt. Having dairy in your diet will keep you healthy, especially as you grow.
    • It’s fine to have juice occasionally, but make sure it is 100% juice. Avoid sugary drinks like sodas and fruit punches as they contain a lot of sugar, which will translate to lots of calories.
  2. 2
    Bring your own lunch to school. To maintain a healthy diet at school, try to plan out your meals at home so you have leftovers to bring to school as lunch. Pack your lunch the night before school or help your parents do this. Make sure your lunch will be filling but also nutritious, with enough fruits, vegetables, and healthy sources of protein, as well as dairy options.[6]
    • Sometimes having a cool lunch box can be a good motivator to bringing lunch to school everyday. If you do not already have a lunch box, you may want to ask your parents if you can go shopping for one together. You can then bring your lunch to school with you with pride.
  3. 3
    Choose the healthier lunch options. If you do not have the time or means to pack your lunches for school, you should try to always choose the healthier lunch options offered by your school cafeteria.[7]
    • Most school cafeterias will offer vegetable options, like leafy green vegetables, as well as sliced fruit or fruit cups. There may also be beans and peas as a vegetarian option, which could be a good choice if you are trying to maintain a healthy diet.
    • Avoid the quick, easy meals that are full of fat, sugar, and salt. Look for options that have been baked or broiled, with no added salt, as well as fresh options, if available.
  4. 4
    Keep healthy snacks in your backpack or your locker. To satisfy any food cravings you may have at the midpoint of the day or after school on your way home, you should pack healthy snacks so they are easy to access. Keep a few bags of nuts or dried fruit in your locker and pack tuna and crackers in your backpack. This way, you will not be stuck getting something from the vending machine when you are looking for a snack.
    • Only pack non-perishable items in your locker and your backpack, as you do not want to reach for your snack to find that it has gone bad.

Part 3
Adding Physical Activity to Your Daily Routine

  1. 1
    Offer to do outdoor chores. Try to make your household chores more physical by offering to do labor intensive, outdoor chores like raking leaves, shovelling snow, or tidying up the yard. This way, you can burn calories and follow through on your responsibilities at home.
    • You can also make a game out of your chores by challenging yourself to get them all done within a certain time period or as a race against a parent or a sibling. This will encourage you to move fast and burn some calories while you do your chores.
  2. 2
    Walk, run, or bike home from school. Opt out of the bus or a ride home and walk or bike instead. This is a good option if you do not live too far away and have the advantage of a warm climate where you live.[8]
    • Alternatively, you may decide to take the bus to school in the morning and walk home after school to add some exercise to your day. You may also challenge yourself to bike around on the weekends to visit your friends, as this will allow you to do something physical.
  3. 3
    Add mini-workouts to your day. To stay in shape, you should try to add small workouts to your day. This could mean doing a few push ups or sit ups between commercial breaks from your favorite television show, or doing 30 minutes of running between doing your homework and playing a video game. Try to integrate small workouts into your day so it feels less daunting and overwhelming to do them.[9]
    • Once you get more comfortable with mini-workouts, you can gradually add on more exercise to your routine. This may mean going for a jog or a run after you have done a few push ups or making a routine where you do push ups, sit ups, and chin ups at home.
  4. 4
    Join a sports team. One of the best ways to add physical activity to your daily routine is to join a sports team. Ask your parents if you can try out for a sport you enjoy or want to try. If you have an existing athletic skill, talk to your parents about getting better at it with coaching or training. Starting a sport or athletic hobby early can be a good way to stay fit as you get older.[10]
  5. 5
    Do physical activity with your family. Enlist the support of your family by rallying everyone to exercise together. This could mean going for a family walk before dinner or on the weekends. Maybe you can help your parents plan a biking trip or a kayaking trip. Get your family to sign up together for a charity run or walk and train together. This will allow you to feel motivated to get fit and supported by your family to do so.[11]

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • How do I exercise if I am in swimming?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Since swimming is cardio, any type of swim will benefit you. A few laps would be a great start!
  • What can I do to lose weight indoors?
    wikiHow Contributor
    You can do push ups or sit ups. You can also put on your favorite song and dance to it. Make sure that you have a lots of room, so that you don't bump into anything!
  • What if I eat fruits? Will I still gain weight or not?
    wikiHow Contributor
    With most fruits, no. Most fruits are considered diet foods because it takes more calories to digest them than the fruits have. Same goes for most vegetables.
  • Can you give me a lisf of foods that are healthy?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Natural and organic foods are always the best, so look for those when you go shopping. Some examples of healthy foods: bell peppers, salmon, quinoa, anything whole grain, fruit, and steamed veggies.
  • What should I do if my parents don't support my goal of getting fit?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Talk to your parents about why fitness is important to you and your health, then think of ways you can achieve your goals without their support. For example, you can make healthy choices when out with your friends or at school.
  • How do you lose a lot of weight?
    wikiHow Contributor
    One way to lose a lot of weight is to watch your carbs.You should only have 3 meals and one snack a day! Make sure to include exercise also. Following this, I lost 12 pounds in a month.
  • How can I lose weight as a child when I don't have money?
    wikiHow Contributor
    You don't have to have money to exercise. All you do is go outside and run around, ride your bike, or go walk to your friends house if you live close to him/her. You can also do simple things at home, such as sit ups or pushups. You can also help your parents clean the house by taking over the moping, sweeping, and/or vacuuming!
  • Can I jog and sprint in my backyard since I'm older?
    wikiHow Contributor
    It depends how old you are. If you are 8 or older, go ahead. For kids younger than 8, it might be too hard, so don't push yourself too hard.
  • What should I do if my parents aren't supportive?
    wikiHow Contributor
    If your parents are not supporting you, you could always go to your friend's house. You could also do it by yourself and walk or run around the neighborhood. Make sure that you have permission if you are young.
  • If become a vegetarian, will it be easier to lose weight?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Because a vegetarian diet focuses on whole foods and incorporates plenty of fruits and vegetables, you are likely to lose weight more quickly if you switch. Be sure to incorporate plenty of vegetarian protein sources like nut butters, tofu, and beans.
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    • Consider setting some rules to help you reach your goals. For instance, try limiting sugary snacks or "junk food" like soda, chips and candy to weekends only. Limit your time in front of a screen (TV, computer, or video games) to help keep you active and moving.
    • Make sure to see how you are eating every day, you must have 3 veggies on your plate for every meal .

    Article Info

    Categories: Personal Fitness

    In other languages:

    Español: ponerse en forma (para niños), Русский: приобрести хорошую физическую форму (для детей), Português: Entrar em Forma (Para Crianças), Italiano: Stare in Forma (per Bambini), Français: être en forme (pour les enfants)

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