How much Physical Activity is Needed in Children?
The physical activity plays an important role in growth of children from very early years to adolescent. Although they keep on hopping here and they’re throughout the day but there should be some structured exercise for them and particular time frame. For children of 3-6 years, they remain active throughout the day but for children more than 7 years of age, when they do start study on serious note, there should be at least 60-minute exercise in form of informal or structured sports. The activity could be of moderate to vigorous level which includes muscular activity, aerobic activity, swimming, dancing, etc. whatever the activity they are doing, they should at least sweat in the end, their heartbeat increase, they start taking deep long breath, which shows they are doing vigorous activity. Again, the activity type and level should be age appropriate, like for younger children, playing in peer group and doing activities like running, climbing a tree, jumping, roping etc. are sufficient whereas elder children, needs aerobic, gymnastics, muscle training, sports/games like judo, boxing etc.
As nowadays, the sitting hours are increasing or say screen time is increasing, so children are drifting towards sedentary lifestyle, as covid-19 pandemic has increased the sedentary lifestyle, it’s high time to start with fresh timetable of increased outdoor time and more physical activity.
Ways to increase physical activity duration for your child?
It is very important to incline your children’s attitude toward physical outdoor games. You can follow few tips for the same:-
- Physical activity should be encouraged in early life, which will make their habbit later on.
- Do involve one of the parent with children playing schedule whether it is game or any outdoor activity
- Positive attitude and rewarding should be done time to time
- In early age, different types of sports should be experienced as children have different tastes.
- Structured and non structured sports should be encouraged, which means making physical activity as fun activity too.
- The risk of injury should be made almost nil by doing activities in proper protective gears like helmet, gloves etc otherwise child sometimes fears to repeat physical activity that hurt him.
- Don’t make children inactive for more than 1hour like during watching tv, travelling by car etc.
If child is overweight, then he needs extra physical activity for not letting more weight gain and improve the health at Cuddles Clinic Sector 57 Gurgaon
Doing physical activity improves: –
- Endurance: – it enables the children to perform long duration exercises which develops by doing swimming, cycling, aerobics, long distance running, jogging, etc.
- Strength: – it builds up by working on particular muscle and that is done with body weight or weightlifting like pull ups, crunches, push ups
- Flexibility: it is of great importance, without which none of above will be of use. It makes muscles and tendons to bear stress and perform well.
