Why is sport important for children? “Sport is health” – this saying applies not only to adults, but also to children. However, more and more kids spend their free time in front of a computer screen (mobile phone or tablet) instead of in the yard or on the playground. No one doubts that such a lifestyle is harmful and does not have a positive impact on the future. So why should children be physically active?
Sport maintains a healthy body weight
There is a reason why we put this point in the first position. According to research, up to 1/3 of Polish children are overweight – this is 3 times more than about 20 years ago. Where does obesity come from? To put it simply, it happens when we provide the body with more energy than we use during the day (i.e. we eat more than we need). To get rid of the excess, it will therefore be necessary to move. Nutritionists even recommend that children burn more energy during the day than they take in.
It is also worth emphasizing other health aspects of physical activity. Sport in particular strengthens the muscles, which not only keep you in shape, but also keep the body in the right position and prevent overloads and injuries. Outdoor sports also ensure the proper functioning of the immune system. In this way, the child can get used to various weather conditions from an early age, as a result creating a protective barrier against diseases, bacteria and viruses.
What’s more, movement makes the body learn to regenerate quickly. A person who regularly does sports will heal an injury faster than someone who leads a sedentary lifestyle and is not physically active.
Sport teaches cooperation
Regardless of whether a child starts their adventure with team or individual sports, they must learn how to cooperate and function in a group. We’re talking about the other kids in class, coaches or rivals. Thanks to sports training, the toddler will also gain respect for other players. Sometimes it will also be necessary to resolve conflicts and tensions in the group, thanks to which the child gains valuable knowledge for life.
We all want to be good at something. It’s the same with children – they want to fit in with the group, be able to impress their friends with something. Thanks to sport, children can fulfill themselves and learn from the first years of life that it is possible to do something they love. And this, in turn, has a very positive effect on self-esteem – because I’m good at something, I manage to be successful at something. Physical activity is also a great lesson in diversity among people – one person can be great at one discipline and another at another, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Sport allows you to get rid of excess energy
Many parents decide to send their children to sports classes because of the huge amount of energy that literally bursts their children. Sport is a way to use it in controlled and safe conditions. During the classes, the child releases all the accumulated energy, making him calmer and less frustrated at home. If your child is a volcano of energy, we recommend that you consider enrolling them in sports activities that take place regularly (e.g. 2 times a week).
Each form of sport has specific rules and requirements. In this way, the child learns discipline – listening to the coach and following the top-down rules that apply to all players. What’s more, sport allows you to develop traits such as perseverance and stubbornness. A toddler knows that some things cannot be achieved immediately, but thanks to hard and long-term work, you can become better and better and strive to achieve your dreams.
Sport is fun
Did you know that the human body produces endorphins when we move? This is why some people become “addicted” to physical activity – they are happy doing sports and want to feel like this as often as possible. However, we should remember to choose a form of movement for the child in which he or she will feel good. If we force a child to go to activities he doesn’t like, he won’t be happy, but unhappy and stressed.
Sport is something that stays with you forever. Probably each of us knows at least one person who has been physically active since childhood. If we start our adventure with sport at an early age, it is very likely that we will remain “on the move” for the rest of our lives. For a child, sport will become a habit, something that will be a natural part of their life, perhaps a continued adventure in adult life.
As you can see, the benefits of children playing sports are enormous. Appropriate habits introduced at an early age will affect the lives of our children in the future.
