Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hosts Kickboxing Event for Kids

Only one in three children are physically active every day. Children and teens spend more than seven hours per day on average using TVs, computers, phones and other electronic devices for entertainment. Inactivity can lead to obesity, and obesity can lead to a multitude of health problems including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and more.

Cleveland Clinic Children’s helped fourth and fifth graders at Chambers Elementary School — one of Cleveland Clinic Children’s School Based Health Care locations — learn to “love their hearts” with a fun, heart-healthy kickboxing class. Kids learned the importance of aerobic exercise before jumping into a high-energy routine led by Cleveland Clinic Children’s pediatric dietician and certified group fitness instructor Diana Di Fabio.

Although you typically don’t think of children when you hear terms like “coronary artery disease,” “high blood pressure” and “stroke” — it’s never too early for parents to take steps now to keep their children from worrying about those terms later. Inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease, and creating good habits around physical activity at a young age can get children off to a heart-healthy start.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children six years and older engage in exercise for at least 60 minutes per day. Kickboxing is a great aerobic exercise because it gets your heart pumping, it helps with coordination and endurance, it burns calories and it reduces stress.

More than 25 million U.S. children are currently overweight or obese — triple the number in 1980. These children are likely to be the first generation to die sooner than their parents. Help encourage children to put down the tablet and get active. View tips on how to motivate your kids.