Gearing Up Your Kids Physical Development

14 September 2019      

It is not a newsflash that kids need exercise in their lives. Parents must be aware of the fact that increased physical activity helps children build healthy bodies, minds, and insures against chronic disease. And we also know that helping our kids to love movement sets them up to be a stronger and healthier teens and adults.

You exercise all the time without even thinking of it. When you run around outside or play kickball at school, dancing and doing push-ups, you are exercising. When you exercise, you make your body stronger. So be active every day. Your body will thank you! Make your heart happy. Your heart is a muscle. It works hard, pumping blood every day. Help your heart get stronger by doing exercise.

Below are the most important physical development that kids get from engaging in regular exercise:

• Develops Muscle Strength: Muscle strength helps to reduce children risk of injury. Lifting things, including their own body weight, keeps them healthy and limber, so they feel well and function optimally.
• mproves Cardiovascular Capacity: Moving vigorously cultivates a healthy heart and lungs, and helps prevent hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure), which will develop during childhood. Regular physical activity will also substantially lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease.
• Keeps Bones Strong: The crucial time to build bones starts before the teen years and lasts until the mid-20s, which is when bones grow to their maximum thickness. You will help your kids prevent the onset of osteoporosis by encouraging them to do weight-bearing activities like jump rope, running games, pivoting, and balancing.
• Decreases Body Fat: Aerobic activity and strength training help children expend energy (calories), which helps them with weight control and positive body fat distribution.
• Enhances Self-Esteem: As children exercise, their strength increases, and so does their self-esteem. They gain confidence and become more comfortable in their own skin.
• Reduces Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: Physical activity will change your brain chemistry and improve your frame of mind. For example, exercise has been shown to increase levels of serotonin, which will contribute to reduced feelings of depression.
• Increases Concentration and Alertness: Exercise releases endorphins, which are the feel-good chemicals that act on the brain as natural tranquilizers. Studies have shown that endorphin-rich movement improves mental focus and cognitive skills.
• Boosts Energy Levels: Movement stimulates attention and energy levels due to improved circulation and blood flow. This helps your body deliver more oxygen and essential nutrients to your tissues, which, in turn, allows you to do more -- and feel better -- throughout the day.
• Controls Mood Swings: Exercise will help calm kids down and stabilize their mood swings, thus making good behavior more likely.

It is the reason why exercise is a good idea. Fun, physical activities and mental stimulation with family and friends in a supportive environment give children the sense that they have achieved something new and challenging. They feel better. They feel happy. And worth it puts your children in a better mood.

For more tips on Fitness for Kids, contact Answer is Fitness.

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