EASY TO DO BASICS OF NATURAL MOVEMENT FOR KIDS

Keeping things simple yet engaging, challenging yet doable, consistent and not tiring is key. You don't need to become a coach, all you need is 15-30 minutes a day to have a break and have some fun. When was the last time you checked who jumps higher or throws better? Have you done a handstand lately? There are many fun things you can do, the point is to create a fun game out of practicing basic human movements.

• Running. Start with the basic drills (like the pose stance, pony, tapping, change of support). The key is to practice balance and the perception of bodyweight on ball of foot. Do short sprints or just chase each other.
• Jumping. Try jumps in place, jumps from place to place, use boxes or stairs to jump up and down, on both feet or not. Use jump rope.
• Throwing. Throwing a ball back and forth, or up in the air and catching it. Try beach balls and tennis balls, have fun with various weight and size.

Things to keep in mind - take shoes off and do everything barefoot, if you're keeping it in training format - repetitions of exercises should not exceed 10-12 per set, at 3-4 sets. Weight of objects used should be appropriate, not too heavy. Using lightweight objects presents an interesting challenge and is very useful for all ages. Try throwing and catching a ping pong ball - you'll see. Notice the physical reaction of your child, if he is tired or sleepy afterwards - do less repetitions and less intensity next time, if however he seems in need of more action - increase the number of exercises and their repetitions, without increasing weight.

Regardless of your kids' age or physical abilities we recommend starting with standard basics and progressing from there according to your own individual situation, plan to use simpler or more challenging exercises and games based on the progress. Remember, you need to keep your kids interested in the activity, so challenge them just enough for them to still be able to perform the task. If it's too challenging and they are unable to do it, they could loose interest.

Running, jumping and throwing are collectively referred to as "natural human movement". The ability to adequately do all three is rather important to an overall physical development. Having a good handle on the basics will allow for a better development of coordination and advanced movements, and things like that always have an impact on psycho emotional and intellectual development as well. It's all connected.

So keep it simple and lighthearted, but start and have fun, this is one of your most important tasks as a parent.

Article by Dr. Nicholas Romanov
Composed by L. Romanov