The Effects Of Exercise On Children

Regular exercise and a balanced diet are the best as well as the most simple things that you need to ensure a healthy life. Physical activity is very important for children belonging to all age groups because at that stage in life their bodies will still be in the process of development.

Children who do not exercise sufficiently will experience inactivity-related health challenges which may affect the quality of their life.

Exercise Considerations

The term exercise is understood differently by adults and children. Whereas adults consider exercise as a formal activity that involves working out a set routine or in a specific environment, for children it means playing or participating in some type of physical activity. According to health professionals, children of age two years and above must exercise for at least one hour every day. The exercise can be performed at a moderate level or at a high level of intensity and can be done in short periods that aggregate to 60 minutes.

Short-Term Effects of Exercises

The benefits of exercising regularly are many. Children enjoy physical, psychological and social benefits in the shorter term. Exercise helps them to sleep well and this contributes to improved mental health as they feel less stressed. Exercise also helps to boost the self-confidence in children and, therefore, they will have a better outlook on life and feel good about the world around them.

Sporting activities that require children to play as team and interact with other people help to improve their social and communication skills and ability to collaborate with mentors and peers. If your children do appropriate exercises at different stages in their lives, they will have stronger muscles and bones, better endurance levels, flexibility and strength. In addition to all these benefits, exercise helps children to maintain a healthy weight as well as right blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Long-Term Effects of Exercises

The long-term good effects of exercises include lower risk levels of contracting certain medical conditions and a longer life span. Not exercising enough during childhood can lead to obesity and earlier incidence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems. All these health problems can not only reduce the quality of their life but also can cause premature death. Physically active children are more likely to be active during their adulthood as well.

Encourage Children to do Exercise

Taking into account the several advantages that exercising regularly during childhood can provide, parents must encourage their children to remain as much physically active as possible. Some of the strategies that can be employed in order to motivate a reluctant child are suggesting physical activities suitable for your child’s age that provide a lot of fun, the parents becoming role models by doing exercises regularly and making many opportunities to exercise available to children.

These can include visiting playgrounds and parks frequently and seeing to it that children spend less time in sedentary activities like playing video games, watching movies, and spending time on the couch in front of the television

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