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My dd9 is not the most active person. She loves to read and would rather spend hours with a book than doing anything more physical. On top of that, she is not the most coordinated kid. For a while, she didn't really notice but now she is starting to become embarrassed because she can't keep up with other kids in gym class, etc. Team sports were a nightmare because the other kids weren't always nice about her lack of skills. The soccer coach's daughter actually threw a fit one time and insisted they were going to lose the game if dd played. It was heartbreaking.

We have a family rule that everyone must take part of some sort of physical activity, just to be healthy. She will gladly take walks with me, but she really needs more activity than that. She has tried dance, gymnastics, and soccer. She does love swimming, but once winter comes we won't have access to a pool anymore. We are considering martial arts, but she is worried that she won't be able to do it right.

Does anyone have suggestions of physical activities for the sensitive and less coordinated? What has worked for you? How about martial arts?

Thanks!

Are there no indoor pools in your area? My DD9 swims year-round at an indoor pool.

In terms of lifelong fitness, walking is one of the easiest to keep up with, and you can increase speed or do hills to increase the activity level. My DD won't walk with me very often, because it tires her out too fast. She also likes biking.

Mine is good at thinking about how to move her body, then moving it. When she swims, you can see the little gears clicking away in her brain. She generally dislikes gym class, because so many of the sports require hand-eye coordination and fast reflexes, rather than intentional and precise movements. I think she'd enjoy martial arts (at least some of them), but she's never tried any.

Hi happyreader

No real advice, just commiseration! DS6 is also not coordinated and apparently has some tone issues but basically he's like your DD he prefers what interests him and what he is good at. Last fall we did nothing after school, but soccer and swim on the weekends. We have made swim mandatory for safety and for the fun things we want to eventually do with him, like snorkeling. Soccer you could actually see him lose interest while running as he thought of something - funny, yet not!

So we are doing camp and he is being exposed to everything and so far - archery caught his fancy, I dont think it's that active but it might lead to a willingness to try other things? Also how about rock or wall climbing?

Hilarious part - this past weekend, DS refused to leave the house, we had a science weekend instead! But with 5 out of 7 I think we are still physically ahead of the game!

DeHe

What about horseback riding? Two of my kids did it for years, including my non-sporty kid. Besides teaching good posture that strenghtens back muscles, it also increasingly works the legs. Best, however, is that it just really focuses on an awareness of your body and your horse's body as you move, and both of these, in turn, stengthen your core.

IME you can find riding schools both in cities and in rural areas.

Of course, you also get the fun and relaxation of being with beautiful, amazing animals!

Hello. I am a lurker here and new to the forum.

I agree with the previous poster that horseback riding is a fantastic option.

I am surprised there are not any indoor pools near you where she could swim or the two of you could do water aerobics together.

Yoga is a surprisingly good workout and some kids enjoy the opportunity to get lost in their thoughts in a soothing environment.

Skating can also be a nice nonsporty activity.

Another option is that you could do a weekly active adventure throughout the winter... eg week 1 yoga, week 2 skating, week 3 find a trail for hiking... etc.

I was just like her - I hated team sports and wasn't confident or coordinated enough to shine at individual sports. I was a book worm too

I discovered running... it wasn't until high school, mind you - I don't know if I would have done it at your daughter's age. I love it though! It's solo (ideal for the sensitive introvert), requires zero coordination (pretty much, anyway), and you don't have to do it competitively to reap the fitness benefits. You can do it anywhere - at the school track, at the park, through city streets, or in your own back yard if it's large enough for laps.

Is there any way the two of you could run together? If you're not in running shape you'd have to start slow, but it's totally doable. Or if you have a yard big enough or a safe place she could be by herself she could run to music with an mp3 player - I love this - it's a great stress reliever.

Good luck (& have fun :-)

Oooo....horseback riding is a great idea!

I know tennis requires hand/eye coordination, but it is also non-contact and non-team (sometimes). You can also take lessons individually and go at your own pace. A lot of high schools have to search for kids to join their tennis teams since traditional team sports draw more athletes.

Thanks for starting this thread. I was debating starting one myself. My DD has tried dance, soccer, basketball, softball, rock climbing, ice skating and swimming. She is a great technical swimmer but she only has one speed -- slow! so swim team isn't an option. She can't ride a bike due to issues mostly in her head. She knows that I want her to be active and is a real trooper but she just can't keep up with the more athletic kids. I've heard that they are starting girls on the run at our school but it's only a rumor so far. Keep the suggestions coming:)

It is probably only an option if you live near a bigger city, but my D tried pretty much every sport you can name (not kidding) before finding fencing in her sophomore year of high school. It is fun, lots of smart kids there that she has gotten to know, and very low pressure (which is quite surprising, as her coach has ended up as one of the US Olmpic team coaches this year!). And there is the cool factor of "sword fighting".

Yoga class is another option. We have also done some trail running with our dog (more fun than other running, IMHO). I have also been toying myself with trying to go hiking in every state park in our state; that might make a great family project for a family with younger kids, although only for summer. But you could snowshoe or cross country ski in them during the winter if you get snow.

My 6-year-old son practices taekwon-do. He LOVES his classes and a child can move at their own pace, which is great. It's excellent discipline for him, too. (He's a very energetic kid, to put it mildly.)

He also plays tennis twice a week. I've asked him every season if he'd like to do a different sport, and he says he likes tennis and wants to keep playing. He started off with the Quick Start program, and is in beginner's level now. Same sort of thing as taekwon-do where it moves at the child's own pace.

Good luck!