We all want our children to stay fit and healthy, so work hard to make sure that they eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and do not consume too much sugar. Numerous studies show that this makes a huge difference to long-term health, so it is important. However, so is encouraging our children to stay active.
The more active your child is when they are young, the more likely they are to enjoy sports and stay fit as adults. Spending time outside encourages a love of nature and reduces the lure of the TV, gaming consoles and the internet.
Cycling as a family
Cycling is a wonderful activity for the whole family. It gets you all outside enjoying exercise together.
Start early
The earlier you start to get your child used to bikes, the better. Potentially, you can start to introduce them to cycling from a very early age. In some countries, they carry small babies in carriers while riding.
Personally, I would not feel comfortable doing this. I would be worried about what would happen to my baby if I had an accident.
When you decide to put your child on a bike is very much up to you. If you feel happy putting a toddler on a bike seat behind you, and riding in the park, there is no reason why you should not do so. This page contains some handy safety tips for those who want to do that.
Start with a balance bike
As soon as your child can stand and is a stable toddler, get him or her a balance bike. There are no pedals, but they are great fun and get your kids used to being on two wheels.
A few months down the line, you can get them a trike. However, many kids who use balance bikes can skip this stage and go straight to a two-wheeler with stabilizers. They tend to be able to lose the stabilizers very quickly because they have already developed a great sense of balance.
Another option is to buy a tandem with rear pedals that can be adjusted to suit the leg length of the stoker, the rider on the back. This kind of bike allows you to pedal at the front and provide direction, while your child pedals at their pace on the back. On this type of bike, you can go anywhere together. This is one of the safest ways to get a child used to road cycling and do so from a very early age.
Again, only do this if you feel comfortable. If you are at all worried about safety just buy them their own bike and stick to enjoying rides in the park or on cycle routes.
Cycling with teenagers
Once your child is older, they are likely to want to try out more challenging forms of cycling. At this stage, they can get involved in trail riding or mountain biking. You can buy everything you need from an online bike shop like this one.
Give your kids the cycling bug at an early stage and they will stay fit for life. Many people are able to stay independent and healthy by riding into their 80s, or even their 90s.
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