Moving your body every day keeps it healthy and strong. Exercise makes your heart stronger, your muscles bigger, your bones tougher, and helps you feel happy and sleep well.
Do different activities and talk about what they do: running makes your heart beat faster, climbing makes your arms stronger, stretching makes you more flexible. Keep a movement journal where children draw or list activities they did each day.
Children sometimes think exercise only counts if it is organized sports or gym class. They do not realize that playing at the park, riding a bike, dancing, and even walking the dog are all exercise. Some children think exercise makes you tired and weak, not understanding it makes you stronger over time.
Your body was built to move. Running, jumping, climbing, dancing, swimming — when you do these things, amazing stuff happens inside you. Your heart beats faster, pumping blood to your muscles so they have the energy they need. Your lungs breathe deeper, pulling in extra air. Your muscles stretch and work, and over time they get stronger and bigger.
Exercise does not just help your muscles, though. Your heart is a muscle too, and when it works hard during exercise, it gets stronger — just like your arm muscles get stronger when you carry heavy things. Stronger hearts pump blood more easily, which keeps your whole body healthier. Exercise also makes your bones tougher. When your muscles pull on your bones during activity, your bones respond by building themselves up. Even your brain benefits: exercise helps your brain make chemicals that make you feel happy and calm.
The best part is that exercise does not have to be boring or feel like work. Playing tag with friends is exercise. Dancing to your favorite song is exercise. Riding your bike around the neighborhood, swimming at the pool, jumping rope, kicking a soccer ball — all exercise. The key is doing something active every day. On some days you might play hard for an hour. On other days, a walk with your family is plenty. What matters is that moving your body is a regular part of your life, not something you only do once in a while.