Fitness tips for kids who hate sports
"Some children, like many adults, may just not be interested in team sports. But they can still maintain an excellent level of fitness by engaging in other activities that don't emphasize competition," states
Mark Sobel, MD, Virtua Health orthopaedic surgeon. "As long as your children don't become sedentary, there's no reason to worry if they resist joining organized sports activities."
Fortunately, there are also many alternative activities that can promote fitness on an individual, non-competitive level.
Dr. Sobel, who has more than 15 years experience in orthopaedics and sports medicine, suggests the following activities to help children build self-esteem, strength, coordination, and general fitness:
- cycling
- swimming
- horseback riding
- dancing
- in-line skating
- running
- hiking
- martial arts