10 Apps to Help Your Kids Be More Active
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , children ages 6 to 17 should get at least an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. But with so many distractions—from video games to TV and tablets—that keep kids sedentary, 60 minutes of exercise is easier said than done.
But what if you could capitalize on this screen addiction to help get kids off the couch? Here are 10 apps that encourage users to engage in physical activity or even “gamify” exercise in a fun way.
NFL Game 60
Chances are your kids are familiar with games like Minion Rush or Subway Surfers . In these apps, players control characters who endlessly run, jump, and collect items until they hit an obstacle. NFL Play 60 works on a similar principle: your kids choose a character to represent their favorite football team, but in real life they have to run and jump to collect coins that can be used to upgrade their avatars. You can track their daily activity level and create your own workout plans. And yes, they have to hold their devices during physical activity, so you may want to invest in an Otter Box case to prevent damage.
Apple Fitness+
If your kids have an Apple Watch and are looking for ways to close their rings, this subscription app offers a variety of non-traditional workouts like dance, yoga, and meditation that are perfect for any age group. Plus, if everyone in the family wears an Apple Watch, you can all do the same workouts together. In each session, the trainer works at a lower intensity that the children can follow, and each instructor’s optimism is contagious. Find out more about the app here .
Available for: iOS (obviously)
Svorkit
The app is perhaps best known for its founders landing one of the biggest deals on the reality show Shark Tank . It offers workouts for kids, ranging from strength training to cardio, yoga and stretching, tailored to specific age groups. Instead of showing adults how to do the exercises, children perform every movement, from bear crawls to jumping jacks. Kids can also set the duration of the workout. Adults have to pay a subscription, but youth workouts are free and can be found here .
GoNoodle
Chances are your kids are already familiar with the dance routines that accompany catchy songs like “Banana, Banana, Meatball” and “Purple Stew,” as teachers often play short videos provided in the app to get students moving during class. Each of the more than 300 songs and exercises is about physical activity and fun, and they never seem to get old. Don’t be surprised if you start singing “Clap It Out” after a few viewings.
Calm
You need to cool down after your workout, right? This popular relaxation app isn’t just for adults. The Calm Kids section features sleep stories with characters such as Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan, as well as meditations featuring the minions from Despicable Me. There are even videos that use movements to increase energy or relax muscles. However, you must be a subscriber to access these features.
Zombies, run!
This app will track the details of your child’s run, just like Strava. What sets it apart from others is the way it motivates users to move, which (if the app’s name doesn’t give it away) is a natural fear of zombies. The headphones broadcast a zombie apocalypse story into your child’s ears, and he’ll have to speed up to avoid eating his brain. There are now 10 seasons of stories to choose from, and the developers recently added an expansion called Marvel Move, which allows runners to run alongside their favorite comic book superheroes. You can try the app for free for a week, but only subscribers can access all content. (Some moms and dads note that the stories may be a little intense for young runners, so parents are advised to use caution.)
Super Stretch Yoga
This easy-to-use app combines the charm of the current comic book craze (Super Stretch is a kid superhero who uses a blanket as his cape) with animated characters and kids doing 12 gentle yoga poses that users can recreate. Additionally, it encourages its young users to take a moment to breathe deeply, reflect, and act with kindness.
Available for: iOS
Jump Jump Froggy
Like NFL Play 60, this app combines gaming and physical movement. In one of three modes, kids control frogs as they try to catch flies and avoid owls and snakes as they try to catch them. Speaking of snakes, Situp Snake tracks how many squats one child can do in a minute, challenging them to set a new record each week. The counting challenge combines maths and PE by asking children to jump while counting ants. While the graphics aren’t impressive, they’ll still keep younger kids interested.
Walkr
Walking 10,000 steps can get old quickly. The award-winning Walkr app turns a daily movement goal into a space game that uses the phone’s pedometer to track the user’s steps. There are over 30 missions to complete, and movement is used to refuel players’ spaceships so they can move on to the next mission. The downside for some parents is that the game has a social element, as well as in-app purchases, which can entice players to gain an advantage.
fitness
If you have a student-athlete looking to improve their skills in their chosen sport, Fitivity offers training at all levels to help users improve their skills in everything from basketball to rugby.