Importance of Fitness and Exercise for Children
posted on Feb 02, 2022
Do your children spend too much time sitting rather than engaging in any physical activity? Well, that’s a common scenario these days. Especially ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit us, outdoor activities for children came almost to a standstill. As such, the only activity that children have been willingly spending time on is either watching TV or remaining stuck to other forms of digital devices.
With so many devices surrounding them, their physical activity and active lifestyle has gone for a toss. They remain so engrossed in the devices that they don’t even realize they have been for hours sitting at one place. This gives rise to the problem of sedentary lifestyle and the accompanying illnesses.
Do you know, according to WHO research, 80% of children between the ages of 11 and 17 are not active for their age group! As per another research, 9.9% of children of ages 4-5 are obese, and 13.1% are overweight for their age group. The statistics reveal that there is a dire need to focus on the fitness and exercise of children so that they can be kept away from any kind of lifestyle-borne diseases.
Being active not just helps children maintain a healthy weight but also aids in improving their balance, coordination, strength, as well as cardiovascular health. Thus, to help the little ones get active and grow into healthy individuals, we, at Gurukul The School, one of the top 10 schools in Ghaziabad, have brought forth for you a few highly effective tips in this article below. Read on.
Simple Ways to Keep Your Little Ones Fit and Active
One thing that could be done to get your child to exercise is to make it a fun activity. This could be something like dancing or skipping, which not only serve as a great way to indulge in physical fitness but are also equally fun and engaging.
- Let them explore various kinds of sports
Encourage your kids to try their hands on different kinds of sports like cycling, badminton, basketball, swimming, etc. After all, you never know where their true talent lies until and unless they get the prospects to explore freely. This would help them stay physically fit while also getting the opportunity to sharpen their hidden talent.
- Encourage them to indulge in yoga
Engaging in yoga is one of the best ways to stay fit and active while still being indoors. Begin with simple asanas like Pranayama and Surya Namaskar and then go on to gradually adding up more to it.
The Core Benefits of Staying Physically Active for Children
- Yoga asanas such as Surya Namaskar help strengthen bones, heart, as well as lungs. It keeps the body in a toned and good physique.
- Playing sports helps improve one’s overall cardiovascular health and also caters to boosting the concentration skills.
- Engaging in physical activities helps to expand the capacity of the lungs to take in oxygen.
- It helps build patience, confidence, and a growth mindset in children.
At Gurukul The School, recognized among the top 10 schools in Ghaziabad, we firmly believe that indulging in at least some form of physical activity is vital for the physical, social, emotional, as well as psychological growth of children. However, if you really wish your kids to embrace fitness as a part of their lifestyle, it is important that you try and make it fun. Children will only continue the activity if they are enjoying it. Hence, encourage your child to engage in physical activities for at least 30 minutes each day, and make sure that you do so in a fun way and not in a stressed-out manner.
Just some awareness and creativity with a dash of motivation in it can make you and your child feel so positive and energized that you had never imagined before!