Whether your obese kid is just starting out in his or her journey to fitness or has been into it for some time, one thing that can hinder recovery is lack of motivation. Being positively motivated is what leads to success. While experts specializing in pediatric occupational therapy in CT say it is alright for your child to take a rest day each week, you don’t want his lack of motivation to lead him to taking more and more days off in between the workouts. Fortunately, here are a number of tricks that pediatric occupational therapist recommend to help an obese kid to stay motivated so as to stick to a daily physical exercises routine.
Encourage the kid to look the part
Having the right attire is important when working out. When a kid is wearing the right kinds of clothing for his or her daily workouts, this alone changes his or her perspective. The kid will want to work out more since not only is he or she now dressing the part, but is also playing the part.
Inspire the kid to start thinking positively
Help the kid to identify a goal and visualize an outcome you would like him or her to have, and then take an extra step to identify what is holding him or her back from achieving that goal and then have him or her to adjust. If for example the kid is continually tired after school, meaning that he or she doesn’t want to exercise, have him or her to work out in the morning or during the lunch breaks.
Reward the kid for well-done exercises
Giving the kid something to look forward to after a daily workout or after achieving the set exercising goals is a great way to have him or her motivated. Buy the child a favorite treat after a particular hard work-out, or allow him to watch his or her favorite cartoon show. But whatever type of a treat you offer, make it seem like you are rewarding the kid for a well-done job.
Keep track of the journey
To add an extra layer of understanding to your kid’s fitness journey, pediatric occupational therapists recommend logging his or her exercises and food intake. Seeing everything in app or on paper makes the therapists or even the parent to think more about what really is going into a kid’s body.
Be flexible
Although most of us would wish for it, each day is not the same. If a particular day is too busy for daily work-outs, have the child to take a day or two off. However, ensure to have him or her back on track as soon as it is possible.
Set work-out goals for the kid
Pediatric occupational therapists start by determining what he would like the child to achieve. He or she then makes everything as challenging as possible while at the same time keeping things realistic and realizable. An obese kid’s daily workouts should be scheduled like everything else done in a normal day. For example, rather than driving the kid to school, have him or her ride his or her bike, or even to walk if the school is not too far away.
