It seems silly, right? But it’s true! Doors can help kids improve core strength. But first, why is core strength even important? Core strength is the center of our posture and balance. Core strength, among other factors, is the foundation of many gross motor activities, like sitting, rolling, crawling, walking, jumping, and single leg balance. The core will remain important throughout the rest of your child’s life. So, here is one activity that your child may already be doing to strengthen their core!
That’s right! Pushing and pulling doors! Pushing and pulling to open and close doors activate core musculature. The heavier the door, the more challenging it is for the core. If you don’t believe me, next time you open the door to work, school or daycare, put one hand on your lower abs and feel the activation happen! So every time you see a door, have your child open it instead of you, providing any help if they need it. It may take a few seconds longer, but for a good reason!
If you want to get creative and go one step further, pushing and pulling heavy objects in general is helpful for the core! So fill a laundry basket or box with heavy materials (books work well). Have your child pushing pull it around the house to get that core activated.
Another activity you can try is blanket rides! A child’s core is challenged while sitting on a blanket and being pulled around the house, but switch it up and have a sibling sit on the blanket and your child pulling! They may need some help depending on their age and the size of the sibling, but this will also get the core involved!
There are so many ways throughout daily life to encourage general strengthening in kids, and this is just one. Have you found other ways?
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