All about kids’ exercise-2

 am sure you would have enjoyed my previous article, All about kids’ exercise -1 and found it informative. In the second part of the series we shall be talking today about the need for exercising for kids and why we should make exercising the kids a priority.

According to recent studies, more than 1 out 3 children and adolescents in the US are overweight; you can be a role model for your children to start exercising at an early age and to reap the benefits of physical, mental and psychological health.

Here are some benefits of exercising and being active with kids:

Better health: It has been found that regular physical activity combined with healthy eating helps lower the risk of obesity and other related chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and stroke. Let the family eat together to encourage conversation and slower eating, In addition it would be healthy to go out for a short walk in the neighborhood to promote physical fitness.

Boosts brain power: Exercise is good not only for physical health, but it also boosts brain power and optimizes the brain to learn. It is exercise that boosts metabolism, decreases stress and improves mood and attention, helping the brain to perform better, with concentration in school.

Social skills: Children who are physically active also demonstrate good social skills like leadership and empathy that influences healthy behaviors. These are very important life skills that makes your child succeed in life. Children also get to learn the values of teamwork, communication and accepting responsibility.

Healthy bones: Exercising with incorporation of body weight-bearing exercises such as walking, hiking or running at an early age strengthens bones and creates a strong foundation for life. It has been found that the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is higher across all sports persons, particularly weightlifting, gymnastics and soccer, with athletes enjoying a 13% higher bone density than non-athletes.

Combat obesity: Combat obesity by keeping your children active and away from TV, computer and video games; obese and overweight children have a 70 to 80 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. Introduce new interesting activities to your child; let them try different sports to choose the one they enjoy.  This will help them achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Boost self-esteem: Being active to build muscles and burn calories also contributes to better self-esteem, confidence and overall health; a kid’s self esteem is boosted when he/she believes one is contributing to the team effort. You could introduce children that struggle with team sports to activities like swimming or golf where they can compete against themselves.

I am sure you have introduced your children to some activity or sports to get active. I would soon introduce you to ways to keep your child active