I remember, back in the early 2000s, when the name CrossFit was everywhere – it was the latest, greatest way to stay in shape. CrossFit gyms have boomed in the years since and some say it is the biggest fitness chain in the world.

What made CrossFit so exciting was how different it was from the traditional workout. It is focused on functional, full-body movements that get your muscles to work together better, as a whole.

Workouts are done with a community of people, which can increase your motivation to exercise, increases the opportunity to witness diverse ways of moving, and enhances accountability to one’s progress and goals. Traditional workouts on the other hand, were often more about strengthening single muscles or muscle groups using machines, weights, and prescribed routines. These workouts are typically a solo experience.

Play, especially outdoors with other children, is full of varied, functional movement. Similar to CrossFit, when children are playing they are incorporating a wide array of movements that challenge their bodies in different ways. First they are leaping from one big rock to another, the next moment they are scrambling up a steep hill. Then they stop and get in a complete squat to check out a bug and end up crawling over the ground on hands and knees pretending to be cats. The variety of movements is huge as the kids flow seamlessly from one activity to the next.

As a play advocate, I am interested in getting people to appreciate the great importance of play for children and to understand how essential it is to their development. Children’s bodies are growing and changing at an unprecedented rate – it’s literally different every day. Children are constantly needing to adapt to these changes, and one of the best ways to do this is through movement that is varied, functional and uses all the muscle groups – much like a CrossFit workout.

The amount of movement varies among children, some desperately need to feel the earth pounding beneath their feet throughout the day, while others seem satisfied with a 20-minute recess, but daily, varied movement will bring them all more comfortably “into their bodies” as they grow and change.

If they are lucky, children have other children around to play with. They motivate each other to push themselves and try new things, they watch each other to gain new ideas about what is possible, and they find joy in each other’s discoveries. Playing with other children opens up the possibilities of role play and storytelling, as they process the world around them. All of these things promote adaptability, getting them ready for whatever is coming their way.

So don’t forget to include a “work out” in your children’s daily schedule – get them outside playing.

Beth Wilkins, a mother to three boys, is an early childhood teacher, a licensed occupational therapist and currently is the owner and lead teacher for Bedrock Play, located in Gorham.