Experts recommend an average of 60 minutes of physical activity daily for children. However, only a quarter of children in the U.S. have made this a part of their routine. The crux of this problem is obvious: an abundance of technology in kids’ lives today.
Still, remember that the solution is often hidden in the problem. As parents, we can embrace beneficial technology to encourage more fitness exercises with the best fitness apps for kids.
Fitness activities for kids can seem redundant, tedious, and meaningless to your “sluggish” little tot. These best fitness/workout apps for kids help them boost health and well-being, increase confidence and effectiveness, establish and reach their fitness goals, and grasp the importance of physical health.
Gamified fitness apps are great to spark your kid’s interest in physical activity.
MentalUP is the only app that stands out with brain teaser games and also fitness exercises and warm up games for kids. It offers dozens of fitness games for kids in a rollicking way!
MentalUP fitness app, which allows your children to work out not only at home but everywhere, blends mental and physical activities such as balance, strength, flexibility, and cardio exercises for kids!
As one of the most complete fitness apps for kids, it offers fun fitness games for kids daily with 200+ physical exercises and different difficulty levels. Last but not least, it offers the opportunity to do exercises without equipment and without being tied to a place! This provides great flexibility for your children.
| MentalUP Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| No ads | Limited features for the free plan |
| Detailed progress report | |
| Family plan (Up to 3 members) | |
Our lives are developed based on our habits. That's why having beneficial routines is quite important at every age. 🧒
On MentalUP, kids discover their potential and learn how to maximize them. With 150+ brain games and 240+ fitness games, they improve both their mental and physical skills while having fun. 🧠👟
The award-winning app is developed by pedagogues, academicians, fitness trainers and game designers. Kids can spend time with it without any parental control. 🙌
Start exercising your body and brain today, and make a better start to tomorrow! đź’Ş
Sworkit Kids is a fitness app for kids that gives you a variety of workout options, including strength training, agility, flexibility, and balance.
You can choose the length of your workout as well, from five minutes to an hour. This way, it will be easier how to get fit for kids. Once you hit start, the app will play videos of kids demonstrating each move, like jumping jacks, bear crawls, and stretches for your child to follow along.
You can also select a workout customized to more specific activities.
| Sworkit Kids Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Videos demonstrating what to do | The transitions between activities are sometimes a bit fast |
| Adjustment of workout time to suit your time requirements | You do not reach the minimum amount of physical activity by using this app unless you do multiple hours of intense exercises |
| Different types of fitness to work on (cardio, yoga, stretching, strength) | |
| You can listen to music while working out | |
As one of the best free fitness apps for kids, Nike Training Club goes way beyond the workout. Strengthen your muscles and your mindset with free guidance from your favorite trainers, athletes, and wellness experts. With a wide selection of workouts and programs, get motivated with Nike trainers and gain tips for complete wellness with this fitness workout for kids.
From home workouts to healthy recipes — strengthen both your child’s mind and body with world-class personal trainers and wellness experts. Also, you can always transform the workout process into a fun group activity by using running games for kids. Nike Training Club is here to help you with this.
| Nike Training Club Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| On-demand classes | Latest update creates problems |
| All-in-all app | |
| Variety of programs | |
Super Stretch is a fun, interactive yoga app created for kids and can be used by the whole family!
Move, play, and breathe as Super Stretch introduces you to his friends and their yoga poses. Super Stretch is your guide who takes you on your exercise journey.
Using storytelling, animation, and video examples, kids enjoy making NAMASTE a part of their day. NAMASTE is the Adventures of Super Stretch’s secret code to help kids learn to find balance and strength in their lives. Be the best you can be!
| Lego City Explorers Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Engaging visuals | Explanations are a little speedy, and kids can’t exit videos mid-play |
| Demonstration videos with animations and cute kids | |
| No-pressure encouragement | |
GoNoodle features bundles of different videos for getting kids moving — from workout routines to fitness challenges — and even includes music videos to dance along to like music apps for kids.
The program has kids work out alongside an avatar called Champ. Once a video is completed, your kid gains energy points for their own Champ, who will grow and gain strength the more they exercise.
This fitness app for kids is also effective for getting the wiggles out before doing homework or just having a fun family dance party. In addition to fitness fun, the app offers creative relaxation videos that help your kids unwind before bedtime.
| Toca Life: Pets Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Videos and games are funny enough to get students moving | This burst of exercise requires a steady internet connection |
First things first: if started in childhood, exercising is a habit that continues into adulthood. Being active enables kids to achieve and maintain healthy body weight. Of course, progression is vital.
Every child should regularly engage in physical activity for 60 minutes per day. Regular physical activity helps build and maintain strong, healthy muscles, bones, and joints.
Parents often focus on the physical development or mental agility of their children. However, what needs to be achieved is the synthesis of the two to develop important interpersonal skills.
Is there anyone who does not know the importance of sleep in child development? Being active improves the quantity and quality of sleep.
Research shows that fitness exercises for kids promote improved school attendance and enhance academic performance.
Last but not least, being active prevents or delays the development of many chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension) and promotes prolonged health.
It might be a hard task to find a fitness routine that works for your whole family, but once you do, you’ll take pleasure in the extra quality time and closeness as a family!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “caregivers play a very important role in determining youth participation in physical activities — how much, how often, and what type of physical activity — and help balance non-active time periods (watching TV, using the computer, or talking on the phone) and physical activity.”
According to experts, the important thing is to be creative: what your child needs is not to do exercises at the level to compete in the next marathon. How about exercising with their favorite song?
Here are some encouraging ideas for family fitness:
By applying these ideas, you can truly encourage your child and strengthen family ties. Some of the health and fitness apps for kids are not designed for just children; the well-thought-out ones aim to establish a family fitness culture also.
MentalUP offers a unique family fitness experience with exercises in different categories suitable for all levels. Regardless of age, its fun, easy, and challenging structure makes it perfect for family fitness.
Perhaps most importantly, MentalUP offers a tailored exercise plan: you can make personalized training plans for your whole family in any category you want, with a performance report. It’s like a special fitness trainer for kids and parents!
Choose your personal trainer and where you want to exercise, then start with the most suitable training plan according to your level! đź’Ş
That’s right! Using MentalUP is like carrying your personal trainer in your pocket. 🥳
Just decide which exercise you want to do today. For example, what about starting with stretching, then a good cardio session, and ending the day with strength workouts?
Let’s do it! 🤸
MentalUP is ready to make you move, and have fun! 🙌✨
Kids are averaging an extra 1.5 hours of screen time per day on school days, not counting educational usage.
The British Psychological Society warns that “too much screen time for young children can unintentionally cause permanent damage to their still-developing brains. The ability to focus, to concentrate, to lend attention, to sense other people’s attitudes and communicate with them, to build a large vocabulary - all those abilities are harmed.”
The UK's Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) does not state precise opinions for different ages as there's a lack of evidence. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises that screen time should be replaced with more time for fitness, exercise, physical activity, and sleep.
Dr. Larry Rosen suggests a limit of 40 minutes with an hour break for kids under 10. For older pre-teens, that should be a maximum of an hour and then an hour off. For teenagers, it should be a maximum of an hour and a half.
Children 2-5 years old should have no more than an hour a day, and children 5-18 years old should have no more than two hours a day.
Yet do remember that the real danger is non-educational, leisure screen time, so you might wish to discount homework screen time.
To summarize, using technology for fitness games for kids is one of the most beneficial incentives for your child. In this way, you will not only maintain their connection with technology but also acquaint them with physical activities that they can reach anytime, anywhere.
Think of fitness games for kids as a tool that makes it easier for your whole family to spend time together. Lastly, do not only monitor your child's exercise but also do exercises together!