Children often find television and online games as a worthwhile antidote to boredom. However, these sedentary activities contribute to weight gain and muscle atrophy for many under-active children. As an alternative, kick scooters are not only fun for children but help them stay in shape. And because riding kick scooters is such an enjoyable activity, children are more quickly to accrue the health benefits from such an activity.
What does it mean to say that kick scooters are good exercise? It means that kick scooters help children increase both muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance. Leg hamstrings and calf muscles are the core muscles used with kick scooters. Children who regularly use kick scooters stretch and move their muscles in many directions. And by stretching these muscles, children retain their muscle flexibility and decrease their risk of injury (for the same reason professional athletes constantly exercise in order to avoid injury).
Because kick scooters help children stretch their core leg muscles, they help increase blood flow to muscles and muscle tendons. Although children have tremendous muscle flexibility at an early age, such stretching helps prevent muscle tendons from becoming tight and inflexible.
Less well known is how kick scooters assist in developing a child’s trapezius muscles (the back muscles near the shoulder blade used to support the arm). These muscles get a workout simply by helping kids on kick scooters keep their balance. Healthy trapezius muscles assist in neck and head movement, rotating the shoulder blade, and the ability to breathe more easily.
And because children find kick scooters a fun activity, they employ these muscles far more than an obligatory five or ten minute exercise regimen. As a result, they’re more likely to retain the benefits stretch exercises offer
In contrast, a mini scooter can help younger children (ages 3-5) learn how to balance. By trying to keep their balance, they’re helping their calf measures to a workout (even though the range of motion for these calf muscles is somewhat limited, perhaps two inches at most).
A young child using a mini scooter for the first time will be using leg muscles ready to grow. And by associating exercise with fun, a mini scooter can encourages a young child to associate exercise with play. Children who begin with mini scooters are also likely to achieve the same health benefits associated with kick scooters (listed above) at a much earlier age. Ultimately, mini scooters help young children to gain more stamina, power, and control.
If you are interested in learning more about kick scooters or would like to see photos of a mini scooter, please visit www.kickboardusa.com.
