Car seats, strollers, bouncy seats, and high chairs are great for keeping your little one safe and secure while you are getting around town or getting things done in the house. But, if kids spend too much time being sedentary, it can interfere with their motor development. Also, they can get too comfortable being sedentary and less likely to go out and play and be active. This inactivity will contribute to the ballooning rate of childhood obesity-this rate has doubled in the last twenty years!
      You don't need to engage your child in any serious physical activity, just encourage them to do more of what kids are naturally inclined to do-explore and play. To help your children learn to use their muscles and develop coordination, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education has devised exercise guidelines for young children.
     (A note of caution: provide realistic challenges for your children. If an activity is too difficult, kids can easily become frustrated and lose motivation to try again.)

      Engage your infant in some activity every day. This includes setting up safe areas for the infant to play in, playing games with them, and carrying them to different environments to explore. Do not keep infants in baby seats or other restrictive settings for long periods of time.

To encourage your infant to be active, try the following:

• Lay your infant on a blanket on the floor with a few toys
• Provide brightly colored, easy-to-grasp toys that can be squeezed or have different textures to encourage reaching and grasping
• Place the infant on his tummy facing you, encourage him to lift his head and kick his legs
• When the baby is learning to roll over, hold a favorite toy just out of reach to motivate him to keep trying
• Play peek-a-boo or patty-cake; help move your child's hands so she learns the motions
• Carry the child to a new environment, set her down, and let her explore (be sure the area is baby-proofed)

Toddlers (12 to 36 months)

Try the following:

• Bounce, throw, and chase balls to develop hand-eye coordination (use soft balls that won't break anything)
• Dance to music and follow-along songs (think: Hokey-Pokey) to promote body awareness and balance
• Play Simon Says and Follow the Leader
• Provide safe, sturdy objects to ride, push, pull, balance on, and climb
• Make chores into games that kids can help with, for example:
  During dinner preparation, have him carry something that won't break or spill to the table
  On laundry day, have her throw her dirty clothes into the laundry basket
• Encourage stair climbing, which develops leg muscles and coordination, but do so only on carpeted steps with an adult right behind to prevent falls

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years)

As kids gain more strength and balance, it is easier for them to accumulate the recommended minimum of one hour of physical activity each day. Some suggestions:

• To promote balance, help the child walk along a line on the ground, or along a sidewalk curb when there are no cars around
• Lay out objects to create a maze or tell a child to run around a tree and back, providing vigorous exercise plus mastering turns and balance
• Around age 3, children learn to hop and are ready for hopscotch; draw paths that require the child to hop first on one foot, then the other. This promotes balance and strengthens leg muscles
• Around age 4, kids learn to skip; practice skipping with them across the yard, or work it into a game of Follow the Leader
• Provide safe objects to ride, push, pull, balance on, and climb

      Emphasize fun, not competition. Preschoolers lack the social and cognitive development for organized team sports, which can leave them frustrated and block later interest in sports.

For kids of any age

      Physical activity should become part of the family's daily routine-this means parents, too! Kids are more likely to stick with it if they see their parents and older siblings being active. Look for chances to fit in exercise and make it a part of your family's lifestyle. Plan day trips or vacations that include hiking, kayaking, swimming, bicycling, roller skating, skiing, or horseback riding. At home, set limits on TV time and encourage kids to get outside and play catch, shoot baskets, or jump rope. Also involve the whole family in housework and yard work, and make the activities fun.

      Most of all, it is essential for parents to model healthful behaviors for children. Make exercise a priority in your life and your children will likely follow in your footsteps