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One of the biggest concerns for parents is keeping their child fit and active. Besides diet, regular exercise is one of your child's biggest sources of strength and immunity. One of the most common benefits of exercising regularly is keeping the kids fit. Additionally, regular exercise can benefit a child's cognition, mental health, and psychomotor ability.
As per Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School, regular exercise helps in improving a child's brain health, cardiovascular health, and fitness. Hence, making your child play any sport or indulging them in regular exercise is imperative. For a deeper understanding, here is a look at how regular exercise can help your child stay strong, active, and in the best of their mood.
While there are multiple benefits of regular exercise for kids, here is a look at some of the top and most important benefits parents can consider.
According to the BioMed Research International, published in 2018, strength training and exercise can have a huge impact on a child's bone and muscle strength. When done under proper guidance, your child can show some positive changes. Moreover, you might witness a change in your child's posture if they exercise or play sports regularly. This may help reduce the chances of injury and enhance their performance in various sports activities.
Regular exercise is specifically beneficial if you're looking for the perfect strategy to help your child lose some weight. As per the Diabetes Spectrum, published in 2017, regular exercise is directly linked to weight loss and tackling obesity. Hence, as a parent, you may encourage your child to step outside and play with their friends regularly for at least an hour or two. For better motivation, you may also participate in games or exercise with them from time to time.
Making your child sleep for at least 7 to 8 hours may help them concentrate better on their studies and feel fresh the next day. However, sometimes, your child may experience disturbed sleep which may lead to exhaustion and fatigue the following day. In such a situation, making your child play a sport or engaging them in some sort of physical exercise may help improve their sleep quality. According to Cureus published in 2023, regular exercise may promote regulation of body temperature and lead to physical exhaustion. This may help your child experience a sound and smooth sleep, making them feel fresh the next day.
By indulging in sports activities, your child might learn a lot of important life skills that may benefit them beyond the playground. This includes learning how to cooperate and being empathetic and honest in the game. While playing a game, kids are encouraged to face challenges head-on and help each other while getting closer to their common goal. According to BMJ published in 2020, playing sports may enhance the spirit of competitiveness and motivation level among kids.
Most sports activities or games require a child to coordinate their hand-to-eye and other body parts to get a specific task done. This may help in enhancing the child's motor skills and improve dexterity. As per children published in 2024, if your child participates in sports activities, they are expected to demonstrate better motor skills than a child who doesn't play sports regularly. This means that playing sports or exercising can also significantly benefit your child's academic and extracurricular performance by making them more proficient with their motor skills.
Because of the widespread availability of digital devices like laptops, tablets, and mobile phones, there has been a rise in sedentary activities among kids. This is one of the biggest reasons for health concerns like obesity and cardiovascular problems. However, by encouraging your child to go outside and play, you may lower the risk of all such health problems. As per the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health published in 2023, indulging your child in exercises and sports is one of the best ways to tackle prolonged sedentary behaviors and modify their pastime choices.
Having a holistic routine may help in creating a healthy balance in a child's life. Since a child may spend a significant amount of time at school, indulging in some form of physical activity post-school may help a child stay rejuvenated. Moreover, it may also help a child build a friend circle beyond school and help them interact freely with other kids of their age.
Exercising regularly is an important lifestyle habit that parents can try to inculcate among kids from the start. It is not just a way of keeping your child's body fit, but also enhancing their mental strength and soft skills. As a child interacts with other kids of their age group, they learn a lot of new and beneficial habits while also improving their lifestyle. Such habits slowly become a permanent part of one's life and help keep a kid healthy and happy.