Importance of Physical Activity for Growth and Development of Kids
The COVID Pandemic has been brutal for kids. Kids have been unable to step out of their homes, and even though schools engaged in a lot of online physical education, it did not seem to help the kids. Most kids had gained weight in unhealthy amounts as the lockdowns across different states seemed to lift.
Physical activities do not mean just active sports, it includes everyday activities like sports, walking, and exercising. There is a simple reason why kids need to engage in physical activities. The simplest and the most important reason would be to remain fit. A healthy lifestyle is very important for children in their growing years.
There are various types of physical activities for kids:
- Running
- Sports
- Jumping
- Cycling
- Exercise
Here are some reasons why physical activities for kids are very important:
1. Physical growth: Kids who indulge in physical activities are seen to have a healthier life in the future. Children have the potential of developing healthy bone density and mass with enhanced physical activity at a relatively young age which in turn reduces the chances of bone diseases in the form of osteoporosis. Staying active and exercising helps your body to develop in a better way.
2. Fitness: The importance of a child’s fitness must be considered by every parent. Staying active and working on physical strength development can help your child significantly in the long run. It will help them to increase their stamina and will allow them to improve their overall immunity.
Exercising will also enhance your child’s mobility and flexibility. Fitness is also related to keeping the brain occupied and relaxed. In this competitive world, kids are seen to find it difficult to deal with a lot of stress and sports is one way of keeping them occupied and helping them keep a calm demeanor when things get hard.
3. Increased Stamina: Stamina plays an important role during childhood. Kids like to run around and are also seen to indulge in sports involving a lot of running or sprinting. To be able to compete in such sports, having good stamina would help. Sports that help in building this stamina will help kids get better at controlling their breaths so that they don’t become breathless fast as well.
4. Mental Development:Team sports will help the kids in ways that cannot be taught. Kids learn a lot from playing within a team, for example, coordination with teammates can be a trait that will help them later in life. Another trait that team sports teach kids is discipline. This is an important trait for kids. It is also seen that kids develop leadership skills while involving themselves in team sports.
5. Social Skills: Kids who engage in physical activities converse with other kids. This helps in improving their social skills. Being social is a very important trait for kids to develop from a very young age. There are various benefits to being social. The most important of these reasons is the trait of communicating whenever there is an issue.
Studies show that kids who indulge themselves in physical activities are seen to build better relationships with their peers, have reduced anxiety, and increased self-esteem and confidence. Kids often lack confidence when they are growing up. Keeping kids engaged in sports activities and particularly team sports will help kids gain confidence to tackle life’s obstacles. For kids who are facing mental issues, physical activities will help them calm down and tackle situations more easily as well.
Physical activities for kids are crucial for their overall growth. There are various advantages if kids are interested in sports. Parents must make sure kids are exposed to all the sports so that they can decide which activities they would like to take up. Giving kids more options will also help parents observe which activities their children are inclined to excel in.