You're Never Too Young to Create Healthy Exercise Habits

Staying active is one of the best ways for keiki and families to build healthy habits, boost energy, and feel their best.

Dr. Lee Haruno, a lifelong athlete and a Hawaiʻi Pacific Health Medical Group (HPHMG) pediatric orthopedic surgeon based at Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, joined Hawaiʻi News Now "Sunrise" to share practical tips for building healthy exercise habits at any age.

Here, he explains how much activity kids and adults need, how busy families can fit movement into the day, and why rest and cross-training are important for helping young athletes stay safe and strong.

For adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity.

Moderate-intensity activity can look like any exercise that brings your heartrate up and makes you break a sweat, but you can still carry a conversation.

Examples include:

• Walking briskly
• Doing water aerobics
• Riding a bike on a flat, paved surface
• Playing pickleball

During vigorous-intensity activity, you're breathing harder and your heart is beating faster. You can only say a few words before stopping to take a breath.

Examples include:

• Jogging or running
• Swimming laps
• Riding a bike on hills or taking a spinning class
• Playing basketball 

The CDC also recommends that adults set aside two days a week for muscle-strengthening activities, such as lifting weights or using resistance bands.

"It's really important, especially for our kūpuna and senior citizens, to work in some strength and resistance training as well," Dr. Haruno said. "Unfortunately, it can't all be pickleball and swimming; we have to get you working out with the weights."

Dr. Haruno says keiki should get at least an hour of day of play.

"That can happen during recess, after school sports, or family activities are great ways to get outside and encourage the kids to stay active as well," he said.

As a father and local boy who grew up on Oʻahu, Dr. Haruno can relate to the struggle of busy families to find time for exercise. He suggests getting creative.

Incorporate visits to the park on the way home from school or go for a walk before or after dinner.

"If you don't have access to that, try to make things around the house fun. When it comes time to clean up the toys at the end of the night or clean up dinner, turn it into a game," he said.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, many children now participate in the same sport year-round.

To avoid burnout or overuse injuries, Dr. Haruno recommends young athletes take a break from their sport for at least three months out of the year.

"Kids who only play one sport, especially before the teenage years, have a higher risk burnout, a higher risk of overuse injuries, and, paradoxically, a higher risk of not being able to perform at their highest level because they're always stressing their bodies throughout the year," he said.

If kids don't want to sit out on the sidelines, they can try out a sport that works different muscles – rather than playing soccer or volleyball, take up swimming or karate!

Outside of sports injuries, Dr. Haruno says he and the team at Kapiʻolani Medical Center encounter a lot of play-related injuries, such as from falls from monkey bars or trampolines. He recommends parents keep a watchful eye on children to make sure they use equipment correctly and avoid risky behaviors like pushing, shoving, or jumping from unsafe heights.

He also stressed the importance of safety around e-bikes and e-scooters. Kapiʻolani Medical Center is the Pediatric Trauma Center for the state, and Dr. Haruno says they have seen the rate of severe injuries from e-bikes increase in recent years.

"Anything with a motor can unfortunately have catastrophic consequences when kids are involved," he said. "We're encouraging families if you can't avoid them, to at least have safe discussions about responsible use, obeying all the local traffic laws, using appropriate protective gear, and really being responsible when you're out on the road."