Children, with their youthful energy, often enjoy physical activity like playing games and sports. These activities are not just good for expending their energy, though – they actually help with the child’s development in several ways. Let’s take a look at the importance of fitness in kids and how fitness supports children’s growth.
Supports Physical Growth
Aside from food and nutrition, exercise is a fundamental part of your kid’s growth process. As kids exercise and play, the body adapts to the physical activity, which encourages the growth of stronger muscles and bones. With a good physical foundation set from a young age, kids are able to work towards healthy bone mass and density, and are less likely to develop bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis later in life.
Refines Motor Skills
Many types of movement that are essential in everyday life can be trained and refined through fitness. For example, climbing gyms and ball sports improve hand eye coordination and muscular reflexes, among other things. By training their motor skills, kids can gain independence faster in performing everyday tasks such as feeding themselves or putting on their jacket.
Posture is important to fix when kids are still young, as their spines are still growing and are not yet fixed in position. Maintaining a straight spine as a kid will prevent deformed spinal cords in adult life, as well as body aches due to a misaligned posture. Children who habitually slouch can improve their posture through physical activities, to train their core strength and spine strength.
Obesity during childhood comes with a high risk of continuing into adulthood. According to the Health Promotion Board, as many as 70% of obese children end up obese as adults. Fitness helps increase metabolism which burns calories faster, helping kids manage their weight and also maintain a healthy heart. This prevents cardiovascular diseases such as high cholesterol and metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Helps Cognitive Development
When children play games or in climbing gyms, they are also developing their brains. During exercise, nerve cells in the brain are triggered to multiply and form new connections. These activities help children with improved concentration, better memory, and sometimes even creative problem solving.
Children with good physical abilities get a boost of self-confidence when they discover they are good at something. They also benefit from the approval of their peers, especially if they are particularly impressive in any sport or activity. Being fit and able to perform physical tasks also increases their independence and self-reliance, which is necessary for personal growth.
Improves Mental Health
Exercise can seem boring to some, but often times kids are more motivated to do a fun activity, and if it’s a physical one you can even ensure they get a workout in. Climbing gyms are popular with kids, who can spend endless hours playing by themselves or with friends, keeping fit at the same time. The enjoyment also creates endorphins, which promotes positive feelings in the child, keeping stress and anxiety at bay.
With a climbing gym at home, your kids will have endless hours of fun and entertainment while maintaining their fitness. Browse our catalog at Fitness Kid today!