Physical Activity- Benefits And Importance For Kids’ Development

In order to have a better future, physically active children need to be able to perform a series of voluntary and involuntary movements. Today physical activity is a way for children to develop motor skills and self-confidence. It will allow them to better socialize with friends and families. Studies show on adults where people who were always physically active as children had lower rates of mental health disorders. Also, physical activity has an impact on the cognitive development of young children. By being active, there are many skills that children will develop both physically and socially.

Importance of Physical Activity in School

Physical activity in school is important for children to develop motor skills, psychomotor skills and cognitive abilities. This will help them later in life by having a good sense of balance and control over their bodies. It also helps with their coordination skills which are very important in sports and the ability to solve problems while moving around. This will also be important when it comes to protecting themselves from injuries from accidents. It’s from lack of consideration for safety measures while playing or even during physical education classes. Studies have shown that physical activity has a positive effect on the cognitive development of children. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that “children and youth should participate in at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours (daily) of moderate intensity physical activity.” Anything from walking the dog, running around the block or playing outside with friends after school or in the afternoon before dinner are physical activities for young children.

Physical Movement Helps Improve Motor Skills And Self-Confidence

Physical movement such as walking, running and moving around also helps with cognitive development. It helps children improve their motor skills and self-confidence. In addition to this, the more physical movement a child does, the better they will become at performing those movements as they age. This is because children learn from their mistakes and become more accomplished as time went by. Motor skills are one of the primary predictors for academic performance. One study conducted by William J. Briscoe and Jonathan Curnow demonstrated that physical activity could be used to improve reading skills in young children by addressing different aspects of reading including phonological awareness, visuospatial ability, visual discrimination abilities and executive functions (Briscoe & Curnow, 2007).

The study was conducted on 6- to 7-year-old children with reading difficulties. The children have physical activity by playing outside on the playground, running around or hopping on one leg many times during school time. After four weeks, the results showed that test scores improved in all aspects of reading skills with no change in the control group (Briscoe & Curnow, 2007).Some studies show that there is a link between physical activity and cognitive development which can be explained by the fact that physical activities increase brain oxygenation and blood flow. This leads to better neurodevelopmental outcomes for kids (Hoyumpa & Taylor, 2008).

A more recent study conducted by Mr. Taylor and Ms. Hoyumpa compared the effects between physical activity for adults and physical activity for children. The study was conducted to determine if there are any differences in development outcomes between the two age groups regarding three aspects of activity: intensity, regularity, and type of activity. The results showed that regular physical activity is essential for cognition, attention, memory functions and executive functions (Hoyumpa & Taylor, 2008).

Other Benefits of Physical Activity

There are many benefits that physically active children have according to various studies. They will have better concentration at school, they will have better eye-hand coordination during sports. Also for other activities which are important when it comes to solving problems during the game or just solving daily tasks at home. These skills are essential for all young children to learn how to become independent. It will lead them to become happier, better able to communicate with the people around them and more socially active. This will be important when it comes to forming friendships with others around their age which, in turn, will help them with their future relationships later on in life. Many researchers have shown that the more time a child spends being physically active does not only relate positively to their motor skills but also their social interactions which is very important during the early years of life (Sokolowski & Ames, 2002).

Physical activity for children also have a positive impact on their self-esteem. This is by the fact that by being active they are able to meet new people, have fun and learn new things. It also develops important life skills which all contribute to improving their self-confidence. Studies show that physically active children tend to report higher levels of satisfaction with their bodies than sedentary children (Trost & Saelens, 2011). A study conducted by J.M. Cairney suggests that physical activity should be an important part of education in school (Cairney, 2011). He explains that physical education classes should be as important as any other subjects in school. It can help children become more physically active. It will also have a positive impact on their social and cognitive skills.

Conclusion-

Physical activity programs can be very effective at improving children’s overall health and well-being (Taylor & Hoyumpa, 2008). A study conducted by Hoyumpa and Taylor shows that there are many benefits to physically active children. They will have better concentration at school, they will have better eye-hand coordination during sports. Also with other activities which are important when it comes to solving problems during the game. These skills are essential for all young children to learn how to become independent. It will lead them to become happier, better able to communicate with the people around them and more socially active.

https://nanniesandkidsunited.com/the-importance-of-physical-activity-for-children/

Please follow and like us: