In an age where technology has advanced immensely that it has become the new entertainment, it is crucial more than ever for people to go out and move about, especially children. With electronic devices being more accessible to the youth, as positive as it may sound, the drawbacks must be addressed seriously. Everyday occurrences such as bad posture, backaches, the strain on the eyes, physical fatigue and poor sleeping patterns are just a select few issues of prolonged inactivity on these devices.
A better approach to this common problem would be using it with moderation. When we encourage our children to see the fun in exercise, that is where you will gradually see a shift in interest from a sedentary state glued to a screen 24 hours, to “Come on dad we will be late for practice!”. Now I want to emphasise that in order to be physically active, it is not a MUST do a sport. Going on a walk, climbing or even just your child playing outdoors with you as a parent or their friends is just as good, in fact, it should be encouraged more than ever.
The human body at such a young age is still developing and the benefits of physical activity during that period are vast. Just to name a few:
- Heart and lung health – Improves blood pressure and aerobic fitness
- Bone Strength – reinforces bone strength
- Brain Health – Reduced risk of depression
- Muscular fitness – Builds a good foundation for strong muscles & endurance
- Academic performance – improved by efficient attention and memory retention.
The overall point is to encourage your children to move about, they only have one body so make use of it!
