WHAT’S NEW?
- NEW Top Tips: Top Tips for a Healthy BBQ!
- NEW Family Friendly Fact Sheet: Food Safety and Hygiene
- NEW and delicious recipes include: Yoghurt on the Go, Simple Cous Cous Salads, Summer Pasta dishes and Fruit Crumble Bites!
The Benefits
When you think of exercise what comes to mind? Running on the treadmill, lifting weights, spending half an hour a day on a stepper machine?
But for children this is not what exercise is about or the way it should be for them. Exercise for children means playing and being physically active. Kids exercise in various places throughout the day … when they have P.E class at school, football practice, and even when they are in the playground playing tag with their friends.
So why, everywhere you look, on the news, in the newspapers etc … there is information about the growing problems of obesity in children in the UK? It’s simple - children are becoming less and less active and that’s one of the main factors causing the increase in obesity levels in UK children (in 2003 at least 27% of 2-11 year olds in England were overweight). People point the finger at television, computer games, clever advertising, fast foods, the list could go on, and of course all these factors put together without physical activity is a recipe for disaster for children.
Think of it like this, the Balance of Good Health model shows you how much of each food group you should have each day, the key message is “you can eat everything in moderation”, and that is the way I like to look at physical activity/exercise. It should be encouraged and balanced with other activities that children enjoy doing, and they should not be made to feel or think of it as a chore that they have to do.
Physical activity is extremely important and cannot be emphasised enough in its power to prevent obesity in children. Think of it like this;
It is that simple!
If your child is exercising and being active here are just some of the benefits they can enjoy;
Stronger muscles and bones
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A leaner body because exercise helps control body fat
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Less likely to become overweight (being overweight as a child can lead to further psychological problems e.g. low self esteem)
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Decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
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Lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels
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Reduced risk of premature death
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Reduce levels of anxiety, and overall improvement in mood
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Development of physical fitness
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Forms positive habits which will see children look at physical activity as a daily part of their life and carry this into adult hood.
Now have a look at these points, and honestly think to yourself is there any reason why you would not want your child to be active. Many people don’t realise the extent of the benefits of exercise for young people, and it is up to you as parents to promote physical activity in a positive and fun way. For ideas on how to encourage your child to do more physical activity, visit our tops tips and activities section of the site.
REMEMBER THE BEST ROLE MODEL A CHILD CAN HAVE IS THEIR PARENTS