The developmental risks when your child doesn’t exercise

ByStefan Velevski
School holidays are fast approaching, it’s now time to consider what your child could be doing with their time away from school. Often during school holidays, children can be inactive, being stuck in front of screens for hours on end.
Do you ever wonder if there is a better way for them to spend their summer?

For example,

Could they improve their skills in their favourite sports?

Could they be faster, stronger, fitter, more agile or have better balance?

Have they trained with someone who can not only help improve their ability to play their favourite sport but also improve their confidence and coordination whilst improving their health?

Is it time for them to see a professional to get guidance on how children can train safely and effectively to stay active and continue doing the sports they love?

 

“However, less than 23% of Australian children and adolescents are achieving the Physical Activity Guidelines.”

 

Children and adolescents aged 5-17 years old should be completing the following:

  • At least 60 minutes of accumulated moderate to vigorous activity per day
  • Several hours per day of light physical activity
  • Vigorous activity and muscle & bone strengthening activities should be completed 3 times per week
  • Break up long periods of sitting as often as possible.
  • Limit screen time to < 2hours per day

However, less than 23% of Australian children and adolescents are achieving the Physical Activity Guidelines.

 

What does this mean?

Engaging in regular exercise offers a large range of health benefits including:

  • Maintaining a healthy body weight
  • Improved mental health, self-esteem, and confidence
  • Strengthening of muscles, bones and joints
  • Promotes healthy growth and development
  • Significantly reduces the risk of chronic conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease and some cancers

Alongside this, being physical activity increases social participation and sets healthy habits for children and adolescents to grow up to become active adults.

By not exercising, we REVERSE all the health benefits mentioned above.

How can we help?

Our team of Accredited Exercise Physiologists understand the needs of children and adolescents and know how to make sessions fun and engaging all whilst being able to target the exercise to improve on all the amazing health benefits mentioned above.

Our team understands the importance of exercise in improving our health and wellbeing. We know how important it is to set a young person up with exercise so that they stay active for life and can continue to receive the health benefits of exercise for years to come!

Our team has had a lot of success helping children and adolescents. A young client of mine who I have been training for some time now was not confident with movement, shy and did not enjoy sports because of this.

After time spent training with this client through fun and engaging sessions, for example, ball games, obstacle courses, and sport specific drills – they have improved their confidence, are moving much better and engaging more regularly in recreational sports!

 

If you are wanting your child to engage in exercise over the school holidays to help build their skills & fitness for the sports they love, or for their general health, contact Longevity Personal Training and Exercise Physiology Drummoyne, Edgecliff, Marrickville, Bella Vista, Randwick, Pymble, Balmain, Neutral Bay, Coburg – Melbourne, and Barrie, Ontario – Canada on 1300 964 002 to enquire today!

 

Written by Stefan Velevski  

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