5 Ways Adults "Scare" Kids Away from Fitness (and What to Do Instead!)

Halloween may be just around the corner, but we don't want to be scaring kids away from fitness! Believe it or not, there are some common practices in children's fitness programs that can make movement feel more like a trick than a treat. The good news? These "scary" practices can easily be swapped for strategies that promote lifelong joy in movement. Let’s take a look at five ghoulish mistakes adults make and explore what we can do instead to create positive, playful, and engaging fitness experiences for kids.

1. Using Exercise as Punishment

Ah, the classic "drop and give me 20!" We've all seen it—whether on TV, in movies, or maybe even firsthand. Using exercise as a punishment, like assigning push-ups or laps around the gym, might seem harmless. However, for kids, this practice can have long-lasting consequences. Associating exercise with punishment teaches children that physical activity is something to dread. It’s no longer a fun, healthy activity—it's a consequence of doing something “bad.”

When exercise becomes a form of discipline, we risk scaring kids away from movement altogether. Imagine telling a child that running is only for when they’ve made a mistake. How likely are they to want to run for fun later?

What to do instead: Let’s flip the narrative. Instead of using exercise as punishment, encourage movement as a celebration or a break. For instance, use movement-based activities as rewards or ways to help kids burn off energy between lessons. Incorporate short "fun breaks" with jumping jacks, silly dances, or games like freeze tag. These small but enjoyable activities keep the mood light and show kids that movement is something to look forward to, not avoid.

Fitness philosophy to adopt: The concept of physical literacy teaches that we should help children develop the confidence and enjoyment of movement across a variety of activities. By focusing on building a positive relationship with exercise, we’re empowering children to move because they love it, not because they have to.

2. Making Everything a Competition

Many adults believe that competition builds character. And while there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, making every activity a battle to win can take the joy out of movement for some kids. For young children, especially ages 3 to 8, movement should be about exploring their bodies, understanding how they move, and developing basic motor skills. Pushing them into competition too early can create a sense of failure or inadequacy if they’re not “winning” every time.

This kind of pressure can be especially daunting for kids who might already feel shy or less coordinated than their peers. The focus shifts from having fun to performing better than someone else, which can make them anxious and self-conscious. Kids may begin to associate physical activity with stress rather than play.

What to do instead: Instead of competition, focus on personal growth and teamwork. Challenge kids to beat their own records, or work together to achieve a group goal. For example, instead of seeing who can run the fastest, have the entire group try to reach a collective distance goal together. Activities like obstacle courses or cooperative games where the aim is to "help the team" are a great way to build skills without putting kids head-to-head.

Fitness philosophy to adopt: Developmentally appropriate practice is a key principle of physical education. This approach prioritizes children's individual growth over comparisons with others. Encouraging children to focus on personal bests rather than competing against their peers helps build confidence, competence, and a lasting love for physical activity.

3. Focusing on Aesthetics Over Joyful Movement

While adults might be obsessed with achieving "gains" or "leaning out," children shouldn’t even have these words in their vocabulary when it comes to fitness. Unfortunately, societal pressures around body image can trickle down to kids, especially if adults focus on exercise as a way to "look good" or "get in shape." Fitness should never be about appearance for children. When we place an emphasis on how bodies look, we risk damaging kids' body image and their relationship with movement.

Exercise for children should be about how movement makes them feel, not how it makes them look. If we make fitness about aesthetics, we run the risk of kids believing that movement is only valuable if it achieves a certain "look."

What to do instead: Encourage kids to focus on the joy of movement. Talk to them about how fun it is to run fast, jump high, or balance carefully. Celebrate their accomplishments based on how they feel—strong, fast, flexible, or proud—not how they look. Use language like, “Wow, look at how strong you are lifting that!” or “Didn’t that feel awesome to jump so high?” This reinforces the idea that movement is for enjoyment and personal accomplishment, not appearances.

Fitness philosophy to adopt: The holistic movement approach embraces all the positive impacts of physical activity: strength, balance, coordination, and emotional well-being. This philosophy shifts the focus from appearance to how movement benefits the whole person—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

4. Using Adult Class Structures for Kids' Programs

One sneaky way adults "scare" kids away from fitness is by designing fitness programs for children that are carbon copies of adult classes. This includes long, repetitive exercises, monotonous warm-ups, and focusing on reps and sets rather than play and exploration. For kids, especially those between the ages of 3 and 12, movement should feel natural, fun, and adventurous—not like a chore or a checklist of tasks to be completed.

Kids don’t think in terms of endurance, sets, or personal records. Their bodies are wired to move in short bursts, change direction quickly, and get distracted by new activities. Structured, rigid routines that work for adults won’t keep kids engaged or interested.

What to do instead: Kids' fitness programs should be dynamic, varied, and focused on creative movement. Use obstacle courses, playful games, and exercises that involve imagination, like pretending to be animals, to keep kids engaged. Short bursts of intense movement followed by rest—such as "station circuits"—can help keep kids energized while allowing them to explore different types of movement.

Fitness philosophy to adopt: Incorporating child-centered programming means designing activities around children’s natural movement patterns and curiosity. This helps kids stay engaged and builds their physical literacy by teaching them how their bodies can move in diverse and fun ways. Using imagination-based or creative exercises can also help develop coordination, agility, and balance without kids even realizing they’re "working out."

5. Linking Children's Exercise to Disease Prevention

Many fitness programs, especially those focused on childhood obesity prevention, make the mistake of linking exercise to disease prevention, like obesity or diabetes. While well-intentioned, framing physical activity as a way to avoid illness can cause kids to associate exercise with fear or a sense of obligation. For a 6-year-old, the abstract concept of preventing future health problems is not motivating. Instead, it might create anxiety or negative feelings toward exercise, especially if the child feels that they’re already "at risk."

This focus on preventing obesity or other health conditions can also reinforce unhealthy messages about body image and weight. Children who believe they must exercise to avoid being "unhealthy" or to change their body shape may begin to feel shame around their bodies, which can hinder their motivation to participate in physical activity.

What to do instead: Shift the focus to the immediate, joyful benefits of movement. Emphasize how exercise makes kids feel strong, energetic, and happy in the moment. Highlight the fun of playing games, running fast, or climbing high, rather than focusing on long-term health outcomes. Kids should want to move because it feels good—not because they fear getting sick.

Fitness philosophy to adopt: The positive movement experience model teaches that the best way to create lifelong healthy habits is to build an emotional connection to exercise through enjoyment, social interaction, and success. When kids experience the immediate benefits of physical activity—such as feeling capable, having fun with friends, or discovering new physical skills

— they are far more likely to continue participating in fitness activities throughout their lives. By creating an environment where movement is celebrated for how it makes them feel in the moment, rather than its long-term health implications, you are fostering a love for activity that will last well into adulthood.

Conclusion: Don’t Let Scary Practices Haunt Your Program

Fitness should be fun, playful, and something that children look forward to with excitement—not something they dread or associate with punishment, pressure, competition, aesthetics, or fear of disease. The scariest part about some fitness programs designed for children is that, without realizing it, we may be setting up a negative relationship with movement that could last a lifetime.

By shifting our focus toward physical literacy, child-centered programming, and positive movement experiences, we can help children develop a joyful, confident relationship with movement that will carry them through their lives. Let’s move away from adult-centric models, excessive competition, and fear-based motivation, and instead focus on helping kids explore, enjoy, and grow through movement.

This Halloween season, let’s banish those "scary" practices and fill our fitness programs with fun, smiles, and positive experiences that will stay with children long after their trick-or-treating days. By adopting these fitness philosophies and creating joyful, engaging programs, we’ll help kids develop a love for movement that’s as sweet as any candy in their Halloween bags.