Section 5:Physical Fitness

Section 5: Physical Fitness

     We all want our children to be healthy and we would do anything to make sure that they are. 

One part of making sure children are getting what they need to be healthy is encouraging physical

activity.  Physical fitness plays a huge role in a child’s health and for many reasons. The following are

just a few reasons.

·        Physical activity reduces stress and calms kids, making them happier and more attentive in the classroom. (Rolzen MD., 2010)

·        Physical fitness is one of the best ways to battle childhood obesity.

·        Physical fitness also develops and improves flexibility, strength, coordination, and balance. 

·        Physical fitness helps with the development of fine motor and gross motor skills. 

·        Physical fitness can also be a beneficial factor in a child developing a healthy sleeping pattern. 

        

      Physical fitness plays a huge role in the process of a child’s development skills.  One of these

skills that is affected is social and emotional development which is the ability of the child to interact

with their peers and adults. Studies show that children to do not engaging in healthy fitness

activities are less likely to block distract themselves from negative thoughts and worries, which

contributes to low self-esteem and not easily socializing with others (Robertson, 2016).  Gross

motor skills are the ability of the child to use their large muscles properly and in an effective

manner.  Through running, skipping, jumping, and climbing a child’s large motor skills are

developed.  A child also develops their hand eye coordination through activities such as throwing

and catching balls, skipping rope, and playing hop scotch.

      Early childhood obesity has the potential to start a child on a path to health issues such as high

blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In one

study, 70% of obese children had at least one CVD risk factor, and 39% had two or more.

(Freedman, 2007).  Childhood obesity can also lead to the development of type 2 diabetes,

breathing problems like asthma and sleep apnea. Another aspect of childhood obesity that many

people don’t think about is the effect that it can have on a child’s self-esteem.  When a child is

overweight it can cause them to withdrawal from being socialable due to the embarrassment they

feel because of their weight and also they often become victims of bullying due to their weight. 

They can develop low self –esteem, stress, depression, and behavioral problems at home and

school.

     Parents and family members can play a huge role in a child’s view on physical activity. “Parents

who exercise with their children are not only teaching them how to live a healthy lifestyle, they are

also reinforcing the family bonds and creating wonderful family traditions. It’s fantastic for super-

busy parents who wouldn’t get as much exercise as they need without incorporating their kids in

the process.” (Howard, 2003).  You can encourage your child to get physically active by doing simple

things such as instead of riding in a car to places you can walk with them or even ride bikes.  Also

going to the park, batting cages, or even putt put golf can make getting the needed daily physical

activities fun.  One of our most favorite activity is our family dance party.  After the kids have been

watching TV or plugged into their games, tablets, and other devices we stop and turn on some

music and all get up and dance.  We jump around, sing and just act silly. It is one of the best ways I

have found to involve us all and get them moving and they have a great time and they have even

been known to start the dance parties themselves.  Adults can play so a major role in how children

view physical activity, what they eat, and their whole basic outlook on being healthy. “So, while

children are still young, let us help them develop motor skill competence and a love of being

physically active. All it takes to encourage an active start is a little time and imagination and a

commitment to a healthy lifestyle.” (J. Goodway, L. Robinson, 2006).

    “Being physically active early in life has many physical, social, and emotional benefits and can lead

to a reduced incidence of chronic diseases in adulthood. Health professionals, families, and

communities need to make a concerted effort to increase the physical activity levels of children and

adolescents.” (Georgetown University, 2000).  Physical activity along with a healthy diet has the

ability to not only enable a child to develop properly but also to continue that healthy living into

their adult life. When a child grows up in a home where health is valued and they are taught what

they need to know to lead a healthy life they want to continue on that path.  Adults need to lay the

foundation and lead by example o that children can get a head start on a healthy life because being

healthy is the key to mastering their development skills.  “Single sessions of and long-term

participation in physical activity improve cognitive performance and brain health. Children who

participate in vigorous- or moderate-intensity physical activity benefit the most.” (National

Academy of Sciences, 2013).  Physical activity effect a child in the following ways. 

·        Children respond faster and with greater accuracy to a variety of cognitive tasks after participating in a session of physical activity.

·        A single bout of moderate-intensity physical activity has been found to increase neural and behavioral concomitants associated with the allocation of attention to a specific cognitive task.

·        And when children who participated in 30 minutes of aerobic physical activity were compared with children who watched television for the same amount of time, the former children cognitively outperformed the latter.

·        After-school physical activity programs have demonstrated the ability to improve cardiovascular endurance, and this increase in aerobic fitness has been shown to mediate improvements in academic performance as well as the allocation of neural resources underlying performance on a working memory task. (National Academy of Sciences, 2013). 

References;

Michael Rolzen MD. 2010, “Why is physical activity important for children?” Retrieved on July 1, 2016 from https://www.sharecare.com/health/fitness-exercise-children/physical-activity-children

Robertson, C. 2016, Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Freedman DS, Mei Z, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS, Dietz WH., 2007.  Cardiovascular risk factors and excess adiposity among overweight children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. J Pediatr.

Pam Howard, 2003. “Encouraging Family Fitness & Healthy Habits”, Retrieved on July 2, 2016 from http://www.pbs.org/parents/food-and-fitness/sport-and-fitness/family-fitness/

Jacqueline D. Goodway and Leah E. Robinson, 2006. “SKIPing toward an Active Start Promoting Physical Activity in Preschoolers”, Retrieved on July 2, 2016 from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200605/GoodwayBTJ.pdf

Georgetown University, 2000. “Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents”, Retrieved on July 3, 2016 from https://www.brightfutures.org/physicalactivity/intro/006_011.html

National Academy of Sciences, 2013. “Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School”, Retrieved on July 3, 2016 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201501/