Exercise Toys that Make Kids and Adults Fit

Physical activity is very important in the development of a child's body. The movements involved in, for example, play help develop their muscles in both the large groups, like arms and legs, and the minor groups, like the fingers of the hand. Through physical activity too, children learn what they can do, what their limits are, and what skills they need to improve on.

Although video games are fun and entertaining, children still need physical activities as well. They must be able to play with other kids for them to interact with one another. They should also be able to get exercise in entertaining and educational ways.

There are also exercise equipments tailored just for kids that help in introducing them to the benefits of exercising. Here's a link:

• Exercise Equipments for Kids: Toys that Maintain Fitness at Home

Below is a list of toys that engage kids in physical activities. They promote physical, social and emotional well being.

You can also see balance boards inside gyms. Balance boards do not only improve balancing skills but they also exercise the arms, legs and ab muscles as the user tries to keep from falling. There are no specific studies done to count how many calories are burned through balance boards but standing alone burns more than 150 calories an hour.

These big bouncy balls with handles are more fun to use than exercise balls. They tone the leg and abdominal muscles. There are even exercise classes that feature them too. Hoppers can burn more than 400 calories an hour.

They’ll make you look like someone riding a spring loaded jackhammer but they strengthen your leg and back muscles. Bouncing up and down on them can burn up to 600 calories an hour.

If balls bounce, you can too! Trampolining, an Olympic sport since the year 2000, is a low impact exercise that strengthens the leg and abdominal muscles. It can burn more than 150 calories an hour.

Bikes and little automobiles take kids to unimaginable places. Riding toys make them exercise their developing leg and arm muscles and can burn more than 150 calories an hour. Adults may not be able to fit in these miniature vehicles.

These rings can burn 200 calories in 30 minutes. They tone muscles in the midsection or the body part that is used to rotate them. Hulahoops develop balance and flexibility.

Play them with your dog or someone else. They can burn more than 150 calories an hour depending on body weight. And, the Vitamin D you get when playing under the sun provides additional benefit to the body.

Even professional athletes like runners and boxers use them. Jump ropes develop good eye, arm and leg coordination. They can burn more than 700 calories in an hour.

These ankle toys develop balance and eye-leg coordination. It may take a little practice to spin the rope with the ankle and then jump in perfect rhythm but they provide intense fun and workout once you get the hang of it.

Whether it's baseball, basketball or bowling, these round toys combine enjoyment with exercise. Balls are probably one of the simplest yet entertaining toys ever made. Even simple ball games, like paddle ball, burn as much as 400 calories an hour.

You do not need to have a badminton court or a net to play badminton. Because of a different timing when hitting the shuttlecock when compared to a ball, this game teaches kids how to anticipate the movement of different objects. A normal game can burn more than 200 calories in an hour.

These toys make children taller than ever. Stilts develop eye, hand and leg coordination. They enhance balancing skills too. They can burn more calories than walking, which burns more than 150 calories an hour.

This is a music video of adults on hoppers:

There are many more toys, like the Honeybee Hop, Chinese Jump Rope, Toy Balance Beams and Scooters, that provide generous amounts of exercise when played with. Toys that involve physical activity not only tone and develop the muscles, they also increase the body’s metabolism and cardiovascular fitness. Playing is also good for a child’s mental and behavioral health.

There are also toys that prepare children for their future careers.