Running and playing are good for young bodies and minds. Here's a look at what kids gain when they're active and when to let them jump into sports.
We all know exercise is good for us. But what you may not know is that it actually may help the immune system-in both children and adults. According to the National Institutes of Health, physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs, decreasing the odds of getting a cold or some other airborne illness, and it might also send antibodies and white blood cells through the body faster.
The brain also may gain ground when the body is active, says Bobbi Hamilton, children's fitness multimedia producer who created the Animal Yoga Breaks, which have been seen between PBS KIDS programs. "When kids are physically active, they're apt to be better learners because they have more circulation, more energy, more self-esteem and confidence," she says.
Sports, Meet My Kid
So when can your child get started? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends holding off on swimming lessons until a child is 4 and for competitive sports until age 6. But it suggests less-intense activities such as tumbling or dance classes until then.
However your sports introduction goes, Julia Sweet, author of 365 Activities for Fitness, Food, and Fun for the Whole Family (McGraw-Hill, 2001), reminds parents:
- Support your child's interests. "Just because the parents are swimmers doesn't mean the child enjoys getting cold and wet."
- Focus on having fun. Sweet recalls throwing out her rule book when she "taught" her 3-year-old daughter aerobics. "I always put music on for her, and we danced. Was it really aerobics or fitness or dancing? I don't know."
- Workouts can be brief. "You're not going to get a 5-year-old to stick with something very long, and that's what's great about kids. When kids get tired, they use common sense and stop."
Add fun and fitness to your child's activities and she's sure to win first place in at least one event: good health.