The song, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” is true. And also the boys. If you make exercise fun, they will participate, enjoy it, and continue to enjoy it throughout their lives.
It is very important that children have fun and get fit when they are young. In 1978, the Newman and Strong Study showed through autopsies performed on preschool-age children, that even at three years of age, children show signs of coronary risk factors. They had discovered streaks of fatty deposits in his blood. We have to get our kids active and help them stay active throughout their lives. Obviously, it is extremely important to promote regular exercise to our children.
Because children’s bodies are so small, they naturally have impaired cardiac output and stroke volume, and decreased oxygen capacity due to the smaller heart and lungs. Due to their inhibited lung capacity, they breathe faster than adults and prefer a start and finish activity to something more aerobic in nature. Most children naturally do not like aerobic activity. They lack attention span and it is physically uncomfortable for them. What can we do then as parents so that our children grow and become physically stronger? Encourages active play. Encourage them to join gym and structured exercise classes, soccer teams, and any group of kids that MOVES!
Society has helped turn children into couch potatoes. With the crime rate as it is, many parents do not feel comfortable allowing their children to go out and play freely as they did when they were children. In many families both the mother and the father work and do not come home on time to allow their children to go out and play. And they don’t feel comfortable having the babysitter watch them outside. In light of that, we have to take charge of our children’s fitness. We know that as parents it’s our job to get kids out to team practice, gymnastics, or dance class. These activities will prevent adult obesity and are worth our extra time and effort.
Some shocking statistics that have recently come to light from the Dr. Cooper Institute cannot be ignored. For school-age children 30%-35% are at risk of heart disease. Half of all children are not physically active long enough to receive the aerobic benefit. Only 32% of children ages 6 to 17 meet minimum fitness standards out of 12,000 children tested. Children ages 5 to 8 were found to already have at least one risk factor for heart disease. Only the state of Illinois requires four years of daily physical education in high school. Parents, we need to take action! Sign your kids up for activity classes today… gymnastics, dance, KidzStep, etc. Sign them up for team sports and encourage them to play outside. More than that… we as parents need to play with them. Let this be your excuse to act like a child. Jump and play with your children. They will love you for it and appreciate what you are doing for them.
According to a 1987 Harvard study, there has been a 54% increase in body fat in children in the last 20 years. That percentage has doubled since the 1960s. This is partly due to poor eating habits, but mostly due to a lack of physical exercise. The psychological ramifications of children teasing their overweight peers can be horrifying for both boys and girls. The chances of an overweight teenager becoming an overweight adult is 80%. If a child comes from a home where both parents are obese, there is an 80% chance that they too will become obese adults. How can we stop this terrible decline in physical fitness in our youth? They have to start moving.
Try to encourage your child to ride a bike or walk to his friend’s house. Park further from the store and walk. Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator. Add activity and movement to your child’s life whenever he can.
During the summer months, make sure that your children do not overheat. Children have an underdeveloped thermal regulation system. They have trouble regulating their own temperature and cannot sweat as effectively as adults. They also need water replenishment continuously. Make sure they drink water before, during and after the activity…especially in hot weather. Ask them to drink water at room temperature; the body absorbs it more easily.
The best advice is to be a good example. Ride a bike with your children. Take family bike rides. Go swimming. Don’t just lie on the beach and watch the kids. Come in and play! Go skating or roller skating as a family. Take them skiing with you. Get your family active and show kids that exercise can be a family affair and that it can be FUN! Start a newer, fitter life for your loved ones today! Remember, the family that sweats together stays together!