HIIT Exercise for Beginners with kids

Exercising with kids is fun, beneficial for your relationship, and healthy for them and you. We have chosen this HIIT workout at home for beginners to perform with your children.

Exercising with kids is not only a great way to bond as a family but also promotes a healthy lifestyle and instills lifelong habits in children. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of exercising with kids and provide a comprehensive guide to High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) exercises for beginners. Whether you are a parent looking to incorporate physical activity into your child’s routine or someone interested in starting a fitness journey with your little ones, this article will provide valuable insights and practical tips.

Key Takeaways

• Exercising with kids is a fun and effective way to promote physical activity and family bonding.
• Incorporating age-appropriate activities like dancing, cycling, and hiking can keep children engaged and motivated.
• Regular exercise helps children develop motor skills, improve coordination, and maintain a healthy weight.
• Encouraging a positive attitude towards physical activity from an early age sets the foundation for a lifetime of fitness.
• It is important to prioritize safety by providing proper supervision, using protective gear, and choosing suitable exercise environments.
• By making exercise a regular part of family routines, parents can instill healthy habits that benefit both children and adults.

The Benefits of Exercising with Kids

Regular exercise offers children and parents numerous physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Let’s delve into these advantages:

Physical benefits for children

Engaging in physical activities helps children maintain a healthy weight, develop strong bones, and improve their overall fitness levels. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases by strengthening the heart muscle, regulating blood pressure, and lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Mental and emotional benefits for children

Exercise plays a vital role in improving mental health by reducing anxiety, stress, and symptoms of depression. Additionally, it boosts self-confidence, enhances mood, promotes better sleep patterns, and improves concentration and cognitive function in children.

Benefits for parents

Exercising with kids allows parents to model healthy habits and provides an opportunity to spend quality time together as a family. It fosters stronger relationships and creates lasting memories while promoting personal fitness goals.

How Much Exercise Do Kids Need?

It is essential to understand the recommended amount of exercise for different age groups of children:

• Preschool-aged kids (3-5 years): They should engage in at least 180 minutes of various types of physical activity throughout the day.
• School-aged kids (6-17 years): They should aim for at least 60 minutes or more of moderate-intensity to vigorous physical activity daily.

It is important to prioritize daily physical activity and incorporate a mix of aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities into their routines.

Fun and Effective Exercises to Do with Kids

1. Aerobic activities:
   • Bike riding in the neighborhood or local parks.
   • Jogging while pushing a jogging stroller.
   • Playing soccer with friends or family.
   • Dancing to favorite songs.
2. Muscle-strengthening activities:
   • Leg lifts while lying on the floor.
   • Using exercise bands for resistance training.
   • Climbing on playground equipment.
3. Bone-strengthening activities:
   • Jumping rope.
   • Hopping and skipping games.
   • Running or jumping on soft surfaces like grass.

Incorporating these exercises into your routine will make exercising enjoyable and strengthen your child’s body and improve overall fitness levels.

Making Exercise a Family Affair

To make exercise fun for the whole family, consider the following tips:

• Incorporate play into workouts by turning them into exciting games with rewards and challenges.
• Try family-friendly exercises like relay races, obstacle courses, or treasure hunts in the park.
• Get everyone involved by assigning different roles during workouts and encouraging friendly competition.

By involving the entire family in physical activities, you create an environment that promotes health and well-being while strengthening familial bonds.

Exercising with Kids at Home

When it comes to exercising at home, creating a safe and effective workout routine is essential. Consider the following tips:

• Designate an area for exercise that is free from hazards and has enough space for movement.
• Use household items creatively as exercise equipment (e.g., using chairs for step-ups).
• Explore workout videos designed for kids’ fitness programs, readily available online.

By establishing a home exercise routine, you can conveniently incorporate physical activity into your child’s daily life and encourage healthy habits.

Overcoming Challenges in Exercising with Kids

Exercising with kids may come with its own set of challenges. Here are some strategies to overcome common obstacles:

• Address time management by scheduling regular exercise periods and being consistent with the routine.
• Make use of technology by incorporating fitness games or interactive workout programs.
• Create a supportive network by teaming up with other parents for joint workout sessions or sharing tips and ideas.

By proactively managing challenges, you can ensure a smooth and consistent exercise routine for you and your children.

Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle for Kids

Parents play a crucial role in promoting physical activity and instilling healthy habits in their children. Consider the following approaches:

• Serve as a positive role model by actively participating in physical activities yourself.
• Encourage outdoor playtime, limit screen time, and avoid screens during mealtimes.
• Engage children in age-appropriate sports or activities they enjoy to sustain their interest.

Promoting a healthy lifestyle benefits your child’s physical health and positively impacts their mental well-being and outlook on life.

How do children do sports at home

It was always clear to me that my children had to do sports at home, but I had two problems: 

• The first, is that they quickly get bored with the circuits proposed by their gymnastics teacher; and 
• The second, is that the training routines I found online were too short of achieving my goals and extending the activity long enough.

One of my first options was to do the training of Joe Wicks, The Body Coach, British personal trainer, and television presenter who lately focused on promoting the sport in his country’s schools. But his childhood routines of 5 and 8 minutes were very short, and all he did was activate the dwarves without tiring them.

But rummaging through their YouTube channel, where there are high-intensity workouts for all levels, I came across a 20 minute HIIT workout for beginners that can be done at home, which is fun for the little ones.

Of course, you have to have a little imagination and a lot of patience with the intensity and technique of the little ones when you are exercising with kids. In my case, the key was to rename all the exercises to other names that were more appealing to them.

The HIIT Workout At Home For Beginners You Can Do With Kids: The Routine

This HIIT training at home for beginners lasts 20 minutes and is structured in 4 blocks of 5 exercises that you have to perform in periods of 30 seconds, with another 30 seconds of rest.

The steps are simple and fun, and if you put intensity in it, it can be τa good complementary workout for an adult or even a complete routine for someone who is not in shape and wants to start in εhigh intensity sport. 

Seriously: if you work it out, apart from having fun while exercising with kids, you get a good sweat.

As we have told you on other occasions, HIIT workouts‘ success is combining high-intensity exercises and breaks for short periods. This way, you get your heart rate up enough to burn excess fat while strengthening your muscles with functional movements that do not require gym equipment.

Remember that you must warm up your muscles before doing this HIIT workout to avoid injury. If you have not done similar exercises before, take advantage of the first round to pay attention to the execution, practice the technique, and increase the intensity as you control them. And above all, enjoy it.

• High-knee gait – 30 seconds
• Rest: 30 seconds.
• Side-scrolling boxing punches – 30 seconds
• Rest: 30 seconds.
• Ground Touch Squats – 30 seconds
• Rest: 30 seconds.
• Shoulder press with knee raises – 30 seconds
• Rest: 30 seconds.
• Knee and arm raises – 30 seconds
• Rest: 30 seconds.

* Repeat until four rounds are completed.

The HIIT Workout At Home For Beginners You Can Do With Kids: How To Do The Exercises Right

March with high knees

At home, we call it the Foot Crusher, which doesn’t make a lot of sense, but boy, does it work for them. To do the march with high knees, we start standing and raise one knee above the waist directing it towards our body’s center. Simultaneously, bend the opposite arm and move it to the center of your chest until the elbow touches the knee.

This exercise activates your legs, arms, pecs, and abs. Remember that you should raise your knees a lot when doing the practice and keep your back straight. Ensure that the contact between the knee and the elbow is soft, or you will hurt yourself (real).

It’s common for dwarfs to get a bit of a fuss with exercise or lean their torso instead of raising their knees, but think that every step you make will be significant for their coordination.

Side-scrolling boxing punches

Also known as the Nose Breaker, this move is a favorite with little ones and very useful for burning fat and improving coordination.

We started standing up, with our legs slightly bent at the shoulders’ height. Learn the trunk, activate the abdomen, and flex the arms until the fists are at shoulder height.

Then alternately punch to the front, stretching your arms fully. Hit 10 times in a row, then roll sideways for another 10. Repeat for 30 seconds.

This cardiovascular exercise will get your heart rate up quickly while strengthening your arms, shoulders, and back.

Exercising with kids can get a little out of control, so try to keep them away from the screen where you see the routine video if you do not want it to explode.

Squats with touch on the floor

This is where my kids got the most creative with the terminology, and we called this exercise the Hulk’s Fall. These are basic squats, very suitable for learning the technique and achieving the right descent route.

To do the squats with touch on the ground, we start upright, with the legs separated at the shoulders’ height and the feet pointing out a little. We activate the abdomen, bend the knees, and descend in a controlled manner with a straight back, and one arm stretched down until we touch the ground. The goal is for your legs to form a 90-degree angle and your body’s weight to be on your heels.

We then gain momentum and return to the starting position. We repeat the movement with the opposite arm pointing downwards.

Squats are one of the most effective fitness exercises, as they work three huge muscle groups: glutes, legs, and abdomen.

Remember: straight back, activated abdomen, controlled descents (no dropping), and the weight concentrated on the heels.

This move can be a bit tricky for kids, so don’t put too much pressure on them. They can bring their torso down until they touch the ground with their hand or squat slowly (this will be very encouraged if you put a little eschatology into it).

Shoulder press with knee raises

We call this the Building Smash Giant, and you’ll quickly understand why. As the name suggests, the knee-lift shoulder press consists of stretching and contracting the arms above the head while raising and lowering the knees, moving much like an angry giant crushing a city’s buildings.

We start upright, feet shoulder-width apart. We open our arms as if we would hug someone and flex them with our fists pointing upwards. You should feel your scapulae come together, and your pecs are tense.

Next, we raise one knee above the waist and raise both arms simultaneously until they are parallel with your head in the middle. We return to the starting position and repeat lifting the opposite leg.

This is one of the kid’s favorite exercises and a complete movement that activates arms, shoulders, back, pecs, abs, glutes, and legs (yes, yes, all that).

But to do it correctly, you must take several things into account. The first, the position of the arms and the back, which should always be straight (if you don’t usually do this type of exercise, remember that, in general, the back is always straight and the abs activated).

On the other hand, it is common for children to raise their legs a little with emotion. There is no drama (remember, we are having a good time), but it motivates them a lot if you say: “What is this giant crushing, buildings or houses?”

Knee and arm raises

The famous Nose Crusher is somewhat reminiscent of the movement you would make if you grabbed someone by the head and kneeled them in the face. It’s all a bit Chuck Norris, but the world of children is unfathomable.

We start with one leg in front and slightly bent, and the one in the back stretched. We lean the trunk forward and join the hands above the head with the arms fully stretched. Right now, your body should form a perfect diagonal from the tips of your toes to the heel of your back leg, and you should feel the tension in your side abs.

Then raise the knee of the leg that is stretched above the waist and lower the arms, also stretched until the palms of your hands touch the knee. Repeat the movement for 15 seconds and then do it with the opposite leg for the remaining time.

The knee and arm raises are another complete exercise in which you will activate the back, shoulders, arms, abs, and legs muscles. Children will likely lose position several times while moving and raise their knees little, especially in the later rounds.

FAQs

1. How can I make exercising fun for my kids? Encourage activities like dancing, playing games, or going for nature walks to make exercising enjoyable.

2. What are some age-appropriate exercises for children? Activities like jumping jacks, bike riding, or skipping rope are great for children of different ages.

3. How often should my kids exercise? Children should aim for at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

4. Can exercise help improve my child’s concentration? Yes, regular exercise has been shown to enhance concentration and cognitive abilities in children.

5. Are there any safety precautions I should take when exercising with my kids? Ensure a safe environment, use appropriate protective gear, and supervise your children during physical activities.

Conclusion

Exercising with kids is not only a great way to stay active, but it also creates opportunities for laughter, bonding, and unforgettable memories. As parents, we often struggle to find the time and motivation to exercise, but involving our kids can make it a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone.

So, why not embrace the joy of exercising with your kids? Whether it’s dancing like nobody’s watching, having a jumping jack competition, or going for a family hike, the possibilities are endless. Remember, it’s not about the intensity or duration of the activity; it’s about creating lasting memories and instilling healthy habits in our children.

Grab your kids, put on your sneakers, and let the fun begin! Join the movement of exercising with kids and start creating unforgettable memories while staying fit together. Get ready to laugh, bond, and make fitness a part of your family’s everyday life. Share your favorite activities in the comment section below and inspire others to join in on the fun!