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5 Ways You Can Encourage Fitness Through Running

Teaching your children how to make running a component of a healthy, active life may be one of the most positive things you can do for them. Running may help them to develop some of the traits that lead to success in adulthood, like determination and self-motivation. And running can make children feel good.

Here are some ways to incorporate running into your children’s lives:

• Be supportive. Running is a opportunity to make your children feel more confident. Running can be a non-competitive activity that sets your child up for success in other areas of his or her life.
• Don’t push your children to go farther than they want to go. Try to get your kids to run only distances they are comfortable with. That way, they will enjoy the time they spend running and want to go out and run again.
• Expect your children to run differently than adults. For a child, to start with a sprint, then to slow down, and then to sprint again is perfectly fine, says Melinda Sothern, PhD, an expert on childhood fitness.
• It’s OK to teach your children pacing skills. Let them know that its time to slow down when their heart is beating fast and their breaths are tight. Starting with a slower pace will also let them end with a satisfying burst of energy at the end.
• Get on a schedule. Like any new goal, keep the running schedule realistic so it will be easy to stay on target. Sothern suggests gradually increasing the intensity of the walk or run that you do with your child. Start slow with a 20-minute walk twice a week, then walk 25 minutes three times a week. Introduce a little running the next week.

An opportunity for your children to run in a supportive environment will occur at the upcoming Runner’s World 1/2 Marathon Kids Run on Saturday, April 23 at 3 pm on Hamilton Street in downtown Allentown. The run, for children ages three to 14, is part of the weekend of festivities surrounding the Runner’s World Half Marathon on Sunday, April 24. The distances vary depending on the kids’ ages, starting with a 100 yard sprint for three to four-year-olds and going up to a mile. There is no entry fee. All participants will receive a healthy snack, a free t-shirt, and a medal to give a well-deserved sense of accomplishment.

For more information, visit www.runnersworld.com