As a child grows from infancy, they gain more control of their motor skills. By the time a child has reached the age of eighteen months, they will probably be walking. The movements will be wobbly and they will fall a lot, but that is all a part of learning.

Babies also learn to crawl before they walk. When they are tired of trying to walk, they will get back on the ground and crawl around to reach what they want. This is the perfect time to put exercise into their routine. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a rigid, fixed exercise routine; in fact it’s really a matter of using many things already available to get those muscles working well.

Toddlers also have teeth and they are able to eat small bits of food without assistance. A mouthful of teeth seem to appear overnight and they want to eat everything that you are eating. This is a time when children are at risk for the beginnings of obesity.

We feed them from the table but everything that we eat is not good for them. Introducing some foods too soon can cause food allergies. Besides that, a child is learning what they like to eat and usually willing to try new things, so introducing fruits and vegetables at this age is an excellent way to teach healthy nutrition. While they are moving and learning about themselves the last thing that they need is extra weight on those tiny legs.

If you’ve ever been around a toddler you know that they can be exhausting. Toddlers are feisty people. They want to explore their world. They love to move and run and play. Playing is exercise and it hits all of the major muscle groups. Take the time to encourage that movement by organizing it into some sort of exercise routine. A perfect place for this is the park.

A park has swings, slides, and jungle gyms. Most playground toys these days are made of hard durable plastic that is kid friendly. Fortunately, much of the playground equipment is built with physical exercise in mind. When kids crawl through those jungle gym tubes they pull themselves with their arms. This strengthens the bicep and triceps muscles of the upper arm. Climbing up the stairs to the top of a slide or coming down a ladder uses the large muscle groups of the legs. Those quadriceps muscles get a good workout.

You don’t have to go to the playground to have exercise fun. In the living room, practice basic calisthenics with your toddler. You can use the game of Simon Sez. Simon might say to reach high above your head. This is a stretching movement to get them ready for more vigorous work. Show them how to jump, hop, skip, and roll. Pop in their favorite tunes and turn it into a dance.

Exercising with toddlers is not hard to do. They already love to move and you can join in as well for some muscle-moving fun. And think of the benefits you’ll receive just by playing these exercise games with them.