Benefits of Exercise for Kids

Children are our future, understanding and supporting their natural yearning for physical activity will help lead them to a lifetime of happiness and a healthy living. If we joyfully teach them how to include healthy exercise in early stages of their development, we will be giving our children a gift that will endure throughout their live.

Among the benefits of exercise are physical fitness, confidence and stronger self-esteem, more energetic, sharp memory, and a good feeling about themselves and they are quite easy to achieve. Happily, there are ways of reversing this growing trend and helping our children to enjoy daily exercise and outdoor activities, which they love given the opportunity.

The Benefits of Exercise

Every one of us can benefit from regular exercise. Kids who are active will:

• have stronger muscles and bones
• have a leaner body because exercise helps control our body fat
• less likely to become overweight
• decreased risk of type 2 diabetes
• have lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels
• have a better outlook on life

Besides enjoying the health benefits of doing exercise regularly, kids who are physically fit can sleep better and are better able to handle physical and emotional challenges, from running to catch a bus to studying for a school test.

The Three Basic Elements of Fitness

If you have ever watched kids on a playground, you will notice the three elements of fitness in action when they:

1. run away from the kid who’s “it” (endurance)
2. cross the monkey bars (strength)
3. bend down to tie their shoes (flexibility)

Parents should also encourage their kids to do a variety of activities so that they can work on all three elements.

Endurance is developed when kids are regularly engage in aerobic activity. During aerobic exercise, the heart beats faster and a person breathes harder. When done regularly and for extended periods of time, aerobic activity will strengthen heart and improves the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to all its cells.

Kids of our generation spend more time watching TV and spend less time running and playing. Parents should limit TV, video game and computer time for kids. Parents can set a good example by being active themselves. Exercising together your children can be fun activity. Competitive sports can help kids stay fit. Walking or biking to school, dancing, bowling and yoga are some other ways for kids to get exercise.