Exercise for Children

Health Benefits of Exercise

Active children have higher levels of muscle and bone strength, a smaller risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as a tendency toward lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Exercise also helps children develop social skills such as sharing, taking turns, cooperation, sense of belonging and learning about winning and losing. It also enhances physical skills like eye–hand coordination and ball skills. Furthermore, it may help foster stress coping strategies, as exercise may help children overcome difficulties with sleep, concentration, socializing, or with any emotional challenges of the daily routine, [Page 634]such as running to catch a bus or studying for a test. It also makes them have a better outlook on life.

Exercise for children has many benefits including improved health and fostering social skills.

On the other hand, developing regular exercising habits in children, in combination with healthy eating patterns is a good way to achieve weight control and to avoid becoming overweight and obese in this age group. Moreover, it should be noted that young children should avoid prolonged periods of inactivity (no more than one hour unless they're sleeping or two hours in case of school-age children).

Children are more likely to be motivated and stick to a certain type of exercise or sport if their families engage actively in that sort of activity and act as role models. The family should also not forget that, above all, exercise in children should be a fun activity. However, there is the danger of trespassing a threshold of healthy involvement when families become overinvolved and competitive and try to push their children into attaining goals and pursuing levels of exercise they are not ready or interested to pursue.

Overexercising can cause similar effects to those of anorexia nervosa, such as weight loss, overuse injuries and hormonal imbalances like amenorrhoea. On the other hand, many children with anorexia nervosa also overexercise.

Types of Exercise

The ideal type of exercise for children depends on the age group. Children are normally not ready for competitive sport until around age 8 or 9. Suitable activities for children under about 8 years include walking, cycling, kicking, throwing and hitting balls, using playgrounds, water activities, dancing, gymnastics, martial arts at a noncompetitive level, or taking pets for a walk or run.

Amount of Exercise

The American Heart Association recommends that children age 2 and older undergo at least 30 minutes of enjoyable, moderate-intensity activities on a daily basis, as well as 30 minutes of vigourous physical activities at least three to four days each week to achieve a good level of cardiovascular fitness. A suitable alternative is to split those 30 minute periods into two 15- or three 10-minute periods during the day.

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