Plant SEEDS: Cultivating Emotional Growth in Youth — Week 2: Exercise
Whether you are in-school, hybrid, or distance learning, movement and exercise may look a bit different this school year. Getting your kids and teens moving, suddenly requires more planning and organization on the part of teachers, parents, and students - as if finding the motivation to exercise wasn’t hard enough before.
While the health benefits of physical education are widely known, the mental health benefits are equally significant. Research shows that exercise can be a helpful tool to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety - and, for some, as helpful as medication for mild depressive symptoms. Regular physical activity has also been shown to decrease the severity of ADHD symptoms and improve cognitive functioning in children.
But going from idle to active isn’t always easy, especially when the things that propelled us out the door have changed or disappeared. Simply knowing the benefits of movement will not likely get your child or teenager moving. They may need practical, realistic strategies to take them from the couch to meaningful physical activity.
Here are 5 strategies to get you started:
Keep it short. Believe it or not, research shows that just 20 minutes of exercise can result in improved mood and confidence. Start with shorter intervals (e.g., 5 minutes or 10 minutes) if needed, and build up from there.
Keep it light. Exercise does not have to be rigorous to feel the benefits. Try out some of these fun and engaging ways to include movement in your and your child’s day that may feel more manageable: walking a family pet, learning a new dance, completing an obstacle course, cleaning a room. You can also try a parent-child or friend-vs-friend push-up challenge!
Keep it goal-directed. Exercise helps us feel accomplished. Working toward a goal and accomplishing that goal, such as running one mile or doing twenty push-ups in a row, can lead to improved confidence, satisfaction, and has shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Start by setting a realistic goal that feels attainable for the week, then expand from there.
Keep it social. It’s often easier to exercise when others are exercising too. Talk to your child about finding an “Exercise Buddy.” Exercise Buddies can participate in physical activity together and/or hold each other accountable toward reaching goals. Another idea is to sign up your child for (virtual) exercise classes, such as yoga or martial arts.
Keep it rewarding. Finding the motivation to start exercising can be challenging. While completing an exercise can feel rewarding in itself (better sleep, more energy, improved mood), that feeling may not generate enough drive to exercise on Day 2. Having a small, tangible reward to look forward to can help create the motivation you and your child need to keep going. Consider daily rewards as well as rewards for accomplishing larger goals. Things like a delicious smoothie, a few extra minutes playing videogames… any agreed-upon reward that will be sufficiently motivating.
As with all SEEDS, creating new routines is hard. The Mind Chicago team are experts in behavior change and are here to help. If your child, teen, or you are struggling with Sleep, Exercise, Education, Diet, or Self-Care, reach out to us at hello@mindchicago.com.
Authored by Mind Chicago therapist and Clinical Manager, Erika McKnight, LCPC.
