| Why
children should be exercising? |
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From an early age, we
are encouraged to be active, to participate on the
playground and to engage in our favorite sports.
Did you ever wonder why this is such good advice?
The short answer is that exercise affects the entire
body, including the mind, in a positive manner. |
Getting our young people up and going for ‘play
aerobics’, or simple and repetitive motions helps
to increase the capillaries that supply blood flow to
the cerebellum. Raising the levels of cardiovascular fitness
helps to stave off coronary heart disease, and it plays
a part in controlling or reducing hypertension, stroke
and varicose veins (in our lower body). Its fun and it’s
an easy thing to do, most kids are already doing it and
they don’t consider it training either.
Do you need other reasons to stimulate their activity
levels? How about this one, each new skill that they
learn will directly increase the synaptic connections
in the brain. The more of these positive connections
the better will be their agility, coordination and balance
abilities.
Normal childhood brings with it the opportunity to
run and jump, to hop and throw, climb and balance and
to kick and catch objects. These rudimentary skills
are practiced and learned early as a child. If by chance
the child does not have these genetic skills by four
or five then it makes it VERY DIFFICULT for them to
be at the same levels of their peers. This may cause
them to forgo any types of physical activity at all
because they can’t keep up with their friends
on the playground. There is an answer though.
Providing a child with the time to practice these skills
and being a good role model helps them to learn how
to do these movements in the right way. It is not enough
just to teach them any ole time. The parent and coach
have to realize there are certain times during the maturation
process when specific movement skills are the most susceptible
to being trained. Knowledgeable coaches will know when
and how to teach certain skills as the child develops.
Certainly not all of the skills will be taught at the
same time, but each parent or coach should be striving
to develop the entire range to the highest levels possible
over the course of the child’s growing up period.
Each child needs to have their day in the sun, outdoors
being active and doing it the right way in the right
sequence according to their time schedule will be of
the greatest benefit to each one of them.
More to follow in future articles on the proper training
methods of the young person.
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Danny M. O'Dell, MA.
CSCS*D Copyright 2003 Explosivelyfit Training Systems
Danny is co-owner of ‘The
WeightRoom’ gym and Explosivelyfit.com,
both located in Nine Mile Falls, WA.
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| His
Masters Degree is in Human Services and he is a
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with
Distinction through the National Strength and Conditioning
Association. He is a member of the Washington State
Coaches Association. His website is http://www.explosivelyfit.com
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