Exercise Programs for Kids & Kids at Heart

Gone are the days when I could spend hours working out in the gym. Since becoming a mommy with no nanny, I   use the precious minutes of free time I have to exercise in front of the computer. Thank God for YouTube, I can choose whatever exercise program  I am in the mood for. I  mostly do HIIT or high intensity interval training, since it  gives me a full-body work-out using half the time of the usual aerobic exercise. Plus it has been proven to increase the body’s growth hormones (HGH) and burn fat even 48 hours after a workout!

Photo by Anusorn P nachol at freedigitalphotos.net

Mishca officially started homeschooling this year and although her home school curriculum includes what BJU Press calls Wiggle Time, I wanted to look for exercise programs that can give her a good workout and let her have fun.  We did a Ready Steady Go trial class last summer and she did enjoy learning to play miniature golf and running an obstacle course, but knowing the homebody that she is, I don’t want to have to drag her  to go to class. She is at an age where she prefers staying home. She always tells me how glad she is to be home-schooled.

I discovered two exercise programs for kids that she likes. The great thing is Michael  and I  can join in the fun, too!

Praise Moves for Children. I actually have a Power Praise Moves DVD. Introduced to me by my friend Myla, Praise Moves is a Christian exercise program that is touted as the Christian alternative to yoga (Read about why Christians need an alternative to Yoga here). Praise Moves takes you to a series of postures with an accompanying Scripture. It challenges the body and engages the mind through Biblical meditation. It’s both an empowering and relaxing program.

That’s why I got excited when I saw that there is a program for kids.  Praise Moves offers two twenty-minute workout with PraiseMoves instructor and creator Laurette Willis and her kiddie friends Kristie and Clayton.  We especially love how this program not just helps Mishca develop flexibility and balance, but also teaches her about God and good values. Two to three months of this and she will also get to memorize chunks of powerful Scriptures! Priceless!  My favorite portion in the video would be the cool down, where they recite and “dance” the Lord’s prayer through a series of postures.  Praise Moves Kids can be bought online at www.praisemoves.com. Upon purchase, it will be sent to you electronically through the Purple Player, which you can download to your computer and tablets. You can get it on as many computers and tablets you own.

Laurette also offers Power Moves Kids, a Christian fitness and character program for homeschooled kids from Pre-K to Grade 8. They are also selling 13 episodes of the Praise Moves Kids TV show. All these are available at www.praisemoves.com

Adventures to Fitness is said to be the number 1 exercise program for kids in the US. It is used by over 120,000 teachers across more than 22,000 schools. A combination of live action and animation, Adventures to Fitness episodes are hosted by Mr. Marc. He takes kids to different places and even travels back in time, all the while brisk walking, running and skipping as he dodges the sinister Mr. Lazee, who is set to ruin things through his unhealthy tactics.

Aside from teaching kids about fitness and eating well, it presents interesting factoids about each nation that Mr. Marc visits. For example, the episode on China presents historical details about the Great Wall and the first emperor of China. If the kids get tired running after Mr. Marc, they will still want to finish the episode to learn about history, geography and science.

This is a 10-minute sampler from Vimeo (Just click the blue tab to watch it in Vimeo.)

Because I like to archive DVDs, I bought a 3-episode DVD which was delivered from the US. Adventures to Fitness episodes, however, can be accessed online through video streaming for a fee of $19 per month or $99 per year. There are new episodes every month and they vary in length from 5 to 30 minutes.

Since Mishca is just 4 years old, I chose episodes that are age-appropriate and suit her interest. She has Dino Disasters (Yeah, my little girl likes learning about dinosaurs! Go figure!)  and Maple Mayhem, an episode set in Canada, where Mishca was conceived. We’re hoping that instilling good exercise habits now will make our daughter fit for life!