Team sports offer a host of social and emotional benefits, but the more immediate issue is health. Childhood obesity rates are increasing- 13.5% for 2 to 5 years old and 20%> in school age children. Sports not only have the immediate effect of reducing obesity, but also build lifelong participation in an active and a healthy lifestyle.
Simply not enough children are active
A 2018 study by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that only 5% of children aged 5 to 18 follow the recommended guidelines of 60 minutes of exercise per day. The same study found that over 5% of children participated in zero physical activity.
Exercise as a prevention tool
Studies have found that regular exercise schedules are an effective way to tackle the issue of childhood obesity. After school exercise programs could reduce childhood obesity rates by over 1.8%, which is more than double the effectiveness of other advertising or healthy eating policies.
Getting children to play sports also builds internal motivation linked to their sport, which helps them adhere to daily exercise guidelines. Research has found that sports involvement is a significant predictor of future adult participation; children are 8 times more likely to be involved in sports than counterparts.
Encourage your child to exercise
Exercise helps build our children’s muscles, bones, tendons, joints, regulate weight and fat, all while reducing the chance of high blood pressure. Studies have proven that regular exercise is the most effective way to reduce the likelihood of chronic illnesses and the chance of 13 different types of cancer. On top of these benefits, exercise can also:
- Increases cardiovascular fitness and endurance, which also decreases the chance of heart disease
- Improves energy levels; regular exercise can make us less tired throughout the day
- Trains coordination and balance; many sports require different types of coordination
- Improves sleep; exercise can improve sleep quality and duration
- Increased happiness; when we exercise, our brain releases endorphins hundreds of times more potent than morphine
Tutor Time and GrowFit
Exercise is a fundamental part of Tutor Time’s Curriculum and teaching philosophy. The GrowFit program is all about being healthy, through physical exercise and good nutritional habits. GrowFit is built into our playground warm ups, our daily dance breaks, and also present when performing sports games or practicing yoga in really fun ways during small group time and large group time. Children will also participate in GrowFit days, such as mini golf day, or mini sports day, where we dedicate an entire day to exercise and gross motor development.
Sources
https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/social-and-academic-benefits-team-sports
https://www.jbcnschool.edu.in/blog/benefits-sports-students/
https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/youth-sports-facts/benefits
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
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