Hey everyone, today I wanted to touch on whether running is a good activity for your kids or not. There’s conflicting things online (as always) and I wanted to clarify a few things.
Age
Your kids can start comfortably running 1-2k or so at 5, and by the time they turn 7 their joints will be strong enough for 5k’s. Kids are light, and running is fun so it’s a no brainer if you want to keep fit too. Once they’re in their teens they can relatively do most distances if they are conditioned for it, but I imagine boredom will keep them from anything over 10k!
Distance
If your children are young, you should keep to short distances. It’s really important for their health and longevity that you don’t overdo it, and take plenty of breaks for water too. If they’re 7 keep it to 5k, and make it a fun 5k too with others to keep them interested.
Running classes
Track days and running classes are brilliant for keeping your young ones healthy, and if they’re good at sport from young it can really boost their confidence as they grow older. You could be setting the foundations up for them to be successful runners in life, or just getting them strong and motivated to succeed in life.
Conclusion
Running is a brilliant option for your kids, it keeps them healthy whatever age (not toddlers obviously!), and keeps their hearts strong too. You could have a running companion for life and set your children up for success with running or give them a boost in any sport if you can get them running early, and give them the competitive edge needed to stand out above others if they want to go into a career in sport too.