8 Easy, Fun Exercises to Keep Kids Strong and Healthy

Anything that gets kids up and moving is good for them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes regular physical activity can help children improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, and reduce the risk of developing health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis, along with improving the symptoms of anxiety and depression. According to CDC guidelines, kids between the ages of 6 and 17 should be getting at least an hour of heart-pumping, aerobic exercise every day, in addition to and hour of bone-strengthening and muscle-strengthening exercises three times a week.

So, how do you get kids to enjoy exercise? That's the real trick. We turned to Jacquelyn Oldham, the Director of Curriculum and Development for The Little Gym, which has 300 locations across the country and focuses on kids between the ages of 4 months and 12 years. Oldham recommended exercises for kids to do at home that get that heart rate up, strengthen little bodies and bones, and — most importantly — are fun to do. After all, if kids see exercise as something they love, as opposed to a chore, they're more likely to actually do it.