Keeping young children physically active – why is it important?

Spending time surfing the Internet, playing computer games, watching TV… All these are modern forms of activity are highly enjoyed by children and adolescents. In most cases, electronic devices become part of the children’s world as early as the first years of their life – they replace the time spent with parents, outside activities and are intended to relieve the child in its moments of boredom. There is nothing wrong with keeping up with the pace of technology, but under no circumstances must we forget that our youngsters need physical activity above all: sport, dancing and outdoor activities.

Activity pyramid for preschool and early school age children

Children are volcanoes of energy that erupt around the age of 3-6 years. This is when they feel the greatest natural need to move – to run, jump or play ball. This is the period on which the child’s future physical fitness largely depends. Restraining the enthusiasm of a young sportsman and, above all, not supporting him/her in his/her activities may result in the fact that he/she will find spending time in front of a screen a better form of entertainment than going outside.

For this reason, specialists have developed a pyramid of physical activity, similar to that related to nutrition. It can be divided into four parts:

– Basics – this is the daily, often unnoticed activity, the lack of which can seriously endanger the health of the child. This includes activities such as climbing stairs, walking and playing with the dog. It is advisable to reduce the unnecessary transport of the child to school or the use of the lift.

– First floor – includes all recreational activities that are worth doing 3-5 times a week. These are physical activities such as playing ball, jumping on a trampoline, riding a bike, scooter or roller skating.

– Second floor – these are any exercises performed 2-3 times a week, which are aimed at developing strength, endurance, fitness, as well as stretching muscles and developing aesthetics of movement. Examples include dance, gymnastics, combat sports or swimming.

– The apex – the completion of the pyramid consists of restrictions. They are about trying to minimise the time spent in front of a TV screen, computer or telephone. However, these activities are not excluded completely, yet it is worth remembering to include as few of them as possible in the lives of the youngest.

 

What exactly does physical activity affect and what is its significance?

Anyone asked would certainly be able to give at least a partial answer to this question. Having heard something like this, one usually thinks of the improvement of fitness, health, figure. However, we avoid going into detail about what is actually the most important issue.

Physical activity affects, among other things:

– physical development – this is the most well-known reason why people decide to be physically active. It strengthens muscles, joints and bones. During physical activity, the lung capacity automatically increases, the functioning of the vascular and circulatory system improves and, of course, your figure becomes more attractive. Furthermore, the motor skills are also developed;

– mental development – while being active, the brain releases the so-called happy hormones, the child learns to control his/her emotions and has a chance to get to know both the taste of success and failure. His or her intellect also develops, i.e. memory, ability to focus and perspective on the surrounding reality;

– social development – the opportunity to go out and play in playgrounds, team games or healthy competition is an opportunity to improve interpersonal relationships. This increases the chance that the child will not become antisocial and will learn to function in a group.

 

Combining fun with use – versatile in-ground trampolines

Today, not every child is willing to take up different activities. At the age of 3-4 it is recommended to try to introduce your child to several forms of healthy entertainment – enrolling him/her in trainings or sports clubs. Soon the child will decide on his own whether he likes any of the exercises. In the meantime, of course, it’s a good idea to enjoy other activities together with your child. An interesting and versatile choice are in-ground trampolines – why?

Most likely no toddler will refuse playing on a trampoline. This is because they provide a lot of fun in a short time. The child jumping relaxes, relieves stress, and at the same time relieves emotional tension. You can be sure that a child full of energy after playing on the trampoline will come home so tired that he won’t feel like playing any more. These are benefits that can be seen with the naked eye. However, in addition to the pleasure, jumping on trampolines also provides benefits – it adapts the body to various stimuli, helps in the treatment of certain diseases, oxygenates, and also develops the sense of balance.

These advantages of physical activity are only the beginning of a whole mountain of benefits. Children who are accustomed to such a lifestyle will find great pleasure in playing outdoors. They will rarely be bored and will reach for electronic devices. You should already think about going out with your child to the park, for example, where there are ground trampolines. Contrary to garden trampolines, these are suitable for even the youngest children. Both the child and the parent are guaranteed to be satisfied.