5 Year Old and Running

I don't think a 5 yr old should have an exercise routine. I think you should have him do things like have been suggested already. Also having sprinting races against his siblings, friends, or even mom and dad would help. Play sports at the park like football, soccer, frisbee, basketball, anything that will help him elevate his heart rate anf build his stamina. Don't forget to make sure he eats a good amount of carbs and protein before hand so he has the right kind of fuel for his body. Anything with too much sugar will burn off quickly leaving him tired and unable to continue practice or during the game. And plenty of water, not sugary drinks, to keep him hydrated so he doesn't get too hot and need to stop to cool down.

He is only 5 years old, I would not push him too much. Encourage him and maybe run as far as he can then walk back home and continue on your routine. After awhile it will build up his stamina (but that can take weeks). Adults can push ourselves A LOT more then a 5 year old, we know when we have reached our limit while child have a harder time realizing when to stop pushing themselves.

Try other activities that are not just running, as a child they need something like kicking a ball around and chasing it to build up that stamina. Find another fun thing he can do that involves running without it being the main focus (soccer, does not need to be with a team but can just be you and him on a team against daddy, run back and forth trying to score).

Some will be faster while others slower... I would remind him that it is ok if he is not as fast as the other kids but also let him know it is good to try and do what the others are doing. Also remind him the practice will make him better at whatever he is doing... eventually he will be running around just like the other kids and he will not feel so "behind" or tired.

it might help to get everyone involved and make a huge game out of it. try playing tag or monster or even kick ball. it takes time for a child to get use to new things. sometimes making it seem like nothing but fun all the time makes them forget it does require a little work.

DEFINITELY agree with other moms. You should NEVER have your preschooler doing excercise activity that is recommended for adults. Talk to his pediatrician about an exercise program. Plus, I wouldn't push a kid to do any physical activity that they were so against. It sounds like baseball might not be his thing. What about hockey or swimming or something of the like. As long as my son was active and not constantly in front of the television (you've already said he wasn't overweight), I would encourage him to be active, but not PUSH him.

I completely agree - that's a good plan for you, but it's not appropriate for a 5 year old. If he just started playing T-Ball, it's going to take a while for his muscles to acclimate to the differences from his other activities.

Whatever you do, make it fun. I think the other moms gave a lot of good suggestions. Play kick ball, do "Red Light/Green Light" games, etc. If you make it anything less than fun, he'll likely learn that he hates exercising. But, if it's fun, it won't be looked upon that way.

Please don't push him too hard - he will resent you in the long run. You should encourage him to find something he really enjoys and do it. When I taught gymnastics, it was about making it fun for the kids so they wanted to do their best. I had to ask MANY parents to go to a different part of the building because they were trying to tell their kids what to do and not letting me be their coach.

Maybe T-Ball isn't his thing. Maybe he'd prefer something else. But, the current tactic will probably backfire in the long run. Who knows, maybe he's getting ready to go through a growth spurt and is cubbing up to have the stored calories needed for that.

Please also take a look at what he's eating. There are a lot of hidden calories in things we think are OK for our kids (trail mix is a prime example). Kids don't know how to overeat - it is something we teach them as adults. We let our kids have treats, but a lot of times, we give them a few options for snacks and try to keep them as healthy as possible (string cheese, fruit, popcorn, etc)