The Importance of Regular Exercise for Children

Regular exercise is a valuable practice for people of all ages. It has immense benefits for your health, strength and general well being. Developing a regular exercise routine for your children is not difficult and can be incorporated with their usual playtime.

It is best to start exercising regularly at an early age. Health practitioners recommend that children above the age of 5 should be active for at least 60 minutes a day. This can be achieved in a variety of different ways including playing active games, organized sports, dancing and many more.

It is best to find an activity that your children enjoy. Fun activities help your kids to develop a positive attitude towards regular exercise. This article highlights a few benefits of encouraging your kids to exercise regularly.

1. Healthy Weight Management

Childhood obesity is a serious challenge in most parts of the developed world. It has been connected to the development of various health challenges later in life. These include diabetes, hypertension and heart disease among others.

While childhood obesity can be caused by a wide variety of factors, regular exercise is one of the safest ways to manage it.

Your child’s ideal weight varies with age, genetics, body type and even the activities he is interested in. Regular exercise enables children to progress in their areas of interest while managing their ideal weight.

2. Develops Cardio And Respiratory Fitness

Regular exercise boosts the functions of your children’s hearts and lungs. Their heart and lungs develop to provide more blood and oxygen to their organs and muscles. Strengthening your child’s cardio and respiratory system makes them stronger and more resistant to disease.

Developing cardio and respiratory fitness early in life opens up opportunities to thrive in a wide variety of sports and physical activities. Regular exercise is an excellent foundation for a child to build upon. This increases your child’s options whether he is interested in professional swimming, running or rock climbing for leisure.

3. Coordination and Motor Skills Development

Coordination and motor skills determine how a child relates to objects in space and time. A basic activity like throwing and catching a ball may seem mundane to an adult. Yet exercises that incorporate items such as balls are effective for the development of a child’s motor and coordination skills.

Through practice, a seasoned basketballer knows exactly how to throw the ball to score a goal. The basketballer needs high mental acuity and strong hand-eye coordination under pressure to score. Regular exercise can develop lasting skills in your children that can serve them for the rest of their lives.

In Australia, various Youth Clubs offer programs to support the culture of regular exercise. These programs are available in many parts of the country and cater to both primary and secondary school children.

During school breaks, you can sign up your kids up for one of the School Holiday Programmes. You can do this at one of the youth centres or fitness and gym clubs in Sydney. These programmes are designed to keep your kids actively engaged in fun constructive activities while you are at work. They also develop your child’s social skills and build character as well as leadership.