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As parents and
teachers can attest, young kids are tough to keep down. They race around the
backyard, slam dunk the garbage and pirouette at only the slightest hint of
music. Though this level can be tiring to manage, rest assured -- all this
activity is a natural and very important part of children’s physical and
mental development.
Physical
activity and learning
According to the
American Heart Association, physical activity in children helps build and
maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints. In addition, physically active
children enjoy other health benefits, such as weight control, lower blood
pressure, improved psychological well-being and a tendency to be more physically
active as adults.
Recent research
also indicates that daily physical activity (such as physical education classes
and recess) positively affects academic achievement in a host of ways, including
increased concentration, improved reading, writing and math test scores, and a
reduction in disruptive behavior.
Aerobic exercise
has been shown to improve memory and may strengthen certain parts of the brain.
The oxygen intake during exercise may also enhance the important connections
made between neurons (nerve connections) in the brain.
Staying physically
fit can give kids the endurance to sit for lengths of time while learning in a
group setting, to hold their upper bodies upright and maintain eye contact
needed to learn. Physical activity that strengthens the large muscle groups
leads to an increased ability to hold a pencil or crayon properly and to form
letters and numbers when writing and computing.
Physical
education: It’s not your mother’s gym class
For many adults,
the gym classes of their youth are less than pleasant memories of dodge ball
that eliminated all but the most aggressive kids or being asked to do sit-ups
until they collapsed into a sweaty, panting heap.
Today, the goal of
school-based physical education is to tune into the abilities and interests of all
children, including those with physical and other special needs. Through the
physical education curriculum, children are introduced to a host of games and
physical activities that will not only help them become better learners, but can
spark a life-long desire to remain physically active and fit.
Children also
learn about the benefits of the exercise they are performing (such as
cardiovascular health, stress management and maintaining a healthy weight,
muscle strength, endurance and flexibility), sportsmanship and cooperation, how
to exercise safely, as well as how to make healthy food choices.
Family fitness
On average,
children in elementary school participate in physical education class two times
per week. The recommendation by the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine
is that that all children (and adults) participate in at least one hour of
moderately intense exercise DAILY. For this reason, it is important that
children are encouraged to stay active after school and on the weekends.
It’s likely that
your child won’t become the next Jason Kidd or Sarah Hughes, but with
life-long fitness that isn’t really the goal. The key is to focus on what your
children do well rather than what they don’t (or can’t) excel at. Try
to introduce a variety of new activities if your child seems to lack an interest
in becoming physically active.
Moderately intense
exercise includes walking to school, playing on the playground or in the
backyard, or completing chores around the house. Believe it or not, a simple
walk around the block is a complete form of moderate exercise that tones and
strengthens the body and helps calm the mind.
If your child
shows an interest in organized sports, dance or gymnastics, encourage it.
Schools and municipalities offer after-school athletics, as do local Boys’ and
Girls’ Clubs and the YMCA.
As often as
possible, parents and other adult family members should participate in physical
activities along with their children. Every time you bike, walk, skate or dance
around the living room with your children you are providing a positive role
model for physical activity and getting a little exercise to boot! To encourage
everyone’s participation, take turns letting each family member pick his or
her favorite activity for the whole group to do together each week.
Age-appropriate
sports and exercise
Children six
and under:
At this stage, children are developing at very different rates, physically
as well as socially and emotionally. Whatever unstructured play they are
interested in that gets them moving -- be it sledding, tumbling or simply making
snowmen -- is generally best. Since they are developing in so many ways,
children who shy away from an organized sporting activity at age five may
suddenly develop the confidence to try it again a year later. Use your own
children’s interest levels and aptitudes as guidelines to choose when and
whether to introduce them to sports and activities.
Children
over age seven:
Most experts agree that children should be seven or older before they begin
competitive team sports (such as baseball, soccer, football and gymnastics,
among others). By their nature, many organized sports involve physical contact
that could be harmful to children younger than age seven. Young children may
also find it difficult to handle the emotional implications of losing. Even at
age seven and above, it is okay if your children are not interested in organized
sports as long as they pursue activities that help them stay physically fit. The
key is finding activities they like to do. These can include biking, swimming,
running (distances of 1/4 to 1/2 mile are appropriate for most children at this
age), dancing, walking and easy hiking, martial arts and yoga.
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permission to reprint this article, please contact the
Capital Region BOCES Communications Service at (518)
464-3960.
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