When adults think about exercise, they always imagine working out in the gym or lifting weights. But it’s completely different when it comes to kids. For them, it’s all about playing and becoming physically active.
Kids do exercise whenever they attend the gym class at school. They also do it during their soccer practice over every time they attend their dance class. They even do it while they ride their bikes or play tag with their friends. But how important is exercise for kids?
How exercise affects a child’s development
Everyone can reap the benefits of regular exercise. Aside from building stronger bones and muscles, they’ll also have leaner bodies. Physically active people also have fewer chances of becoming overweight. Kid’s Health says that exercise can also help people get a better outlook in life.
But aside from its health benefits, physically active kids also tend to sleep better. They’re also more adept in handling emotional and physical challenges such as attending the gym class or even taking an exam. But how can you give your child the right amount of exercise that she needs?
Understanding the physical needs of young people
The World Health Organization says that physical activities for children should start once they reach five to 17 years of age. It should also accumulate to at least an hour of moderate up until vigorous activities each day. Doing so will help your child improve her muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness. Even more, it can also help her with her bone as well as her metabolic health.
Providing children with playground equipment such as an outdoor play tower with slide can give them the level of physical activity that they need. Allowing them to have exercises that would exceed 60 minutes can boost the health benefits even more.
You should let them do aerobics every day to strengthen their muscles and the cardiorespiratory system, too. Also, including vigorous activities at least three times, every week can help increase their bone and muscle mass.
The three primary elements of fitness
If you’ve ever observed children in a park, you might have noticed the three elements of fitness right in action. It happens when a kid runs away when playing tag, when doing monkey bars, and when they’re bending down to tie their shoelaces. Experts call these as endurance, strength, and flexibility.
Kids often develop their endurance skills when doing aerobics activities. Doing these kinds of exercises can help them build their muscles. Even more, it can also strengthen their heart. Meanwhile, you can help your kids improve their strength. You can do so by encouraging them to climb or do a handstand. You can also introduce them to wrestling to help tone their muscles. On the other hand, introducing them to stretching exercises can help improve their flexibility.
Kids nowadays no longer get the physical activity that the previous generation used to get when they were at the same age. That’s why it’s crucial to instill the importance of doing exercises to your kids. Doing so will help fight the growing problem of childhood obesity.
