Sports and Children

by Better Health Channel

One of the activities to cultivate a healthy living at Wonderful Years Kindergarten

Summary

Active children are more likely to mature into physically active adults. Benefits of sport and physical activity for children include reduced risk of obesity, increased cardiovascular fitness, improved coordination and balance, better sleep and improved social skills. Reducing sedentary time may be as important for health as increasing exercise time. Best of all, getting moving is fun

Benefits for children

Some of the many benefits of sport participation for children include:

• Reduced risk of obesity
• Increased cardiovascular fitness
• Healthy growth of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons
• Improved coordination and balance
• A greater ability to physically relax and, therefore, avoid the complications of chronic muscular tension (such as headache or back ache)
• Improved sleep
• Mental health benefits, such as greater confidence
• Improved social skills
• Improved personal skills, including cooperation and leadership

An active child VS a deeply engrossed child.

Sedentary pursuits

Around 30 per cent of Australian children don’t participate in sport at all. Common sedentary activities that compete with physical activity include:

• Homework
• Computer games
• Internet use
• Television.

Encourage your child to be physically active
Parents can help their children to be physically active in a number of ways, including:

• Lead by example - be physically active yourself.
• Make sure that some family outings offer opportunities for physical activity, such as playing sport together.
• Encourage your child to walk or ride their bicycle for short trips, rather than rely on you to drive them.
• Support your child’s efforts in sport. Make sure you’re there at each match, cheering them on from the sidelines.
• Set time limits on sedentary activities like computer games and television.
• Consult with your child’s school on ways to encourage greater participation in sports and physical activity.