Bring back the simple way of life, walking more and hours outside in the park with friends!!.
Is this how you remember your school's sports day?!
It’s the annual National School Sports Week this week and a great way for schools to highlight the benefits of PE and school sports whether it’s a team effort or individual event.
Exercise doesn’t mean going to the gym for a work out but being active just by walking to school for example or playing tag with friends and football, skipping or tennis during lunchtime.
The national guidelines recommend children between the ages of 5-18 should be physically active (so that their heart rate increases) for at least an hour each day to strengthen their bones and muscles. The hour can be broken up during the day into intervals rather than an hour solid each day. PE, walking to school, playing games in the playground at break time and sports after school, all help to reach this target without it being a chore or them realising they are doing it. Making exercise fun is essential for children to want to do it and for it becoming part of their daily routine. Walking to school rather than jumping in the car or parking a bit further away so it becomes a way of life and something they do automatically and want to do it as it’s fun!
Exercise doesn’t mean going to the gym for a work out but being active just by walking to school for example or playing tag with friends and football, skipping or tennis during lunchtime.
The national guidelines recommend children between the ages of 5-18 should be physically active (so that their heart rate increases) for at least an hour each day to strengthen their bones and muscles. The hour can be broken up during the day into intervals rather than an hour solid each day. PE, walking to school, playing games in the playground at break time and sports after school, all help to reach this target without it being a chore or them realising they are doing it. Making exercise fun is essential for children to want to do it and for it becoming part of their daily routine. Walking to school rather than jumping in the car or parking a bit further away so it becomes a way of life and something they do automatically and want to do it as it’s fun!
Exercise strengthens bones and muscles
There are endless benefits of encouraging our children to be active from an early age, the main ones are as follows:-
- Strengthens Bones and Muscles
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Being outside playing in nature proven to aid our immune system
- Improves self confidence and self believe
- Great for the mind and good stress buster especially if it is exam season
- Less likely to become overweight or obese
- Lowers risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Helps with social skills in meeting and interacting with new friends
- Encourages a healthy lifestyle in adulthood
- Promotes a positive attitude and outlook and increases confidence
All about having fun not about 'winning' So it is important for our children to be encouraged to ‘have a go’ and try new activities and be outside mixing with children their own age rather than inside playing with their phone or console. The innocence and fun of spending hours out playing with friends on bikes in the park seem to have vanished with our fear of their safety, our fast paced society, and trying to keep up with the never ending amount of homework put on our stressed out kids who are under pressure to perform at school and try to fit in socially and deal with changes with their bodies and hormones.
Bring back the simple pleasures of bike rides, playing rounders and going for a family walk and playing in the park with their friends’.
Enjoy getting out and about and getting stuck into nature.
References
https://www.youthsporttrust.org/national-school-sport-week
http://www.getactivesports.com/benefits-of-exercise-for-children/
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