By the time you’re into your 40’s, and you start to notice some of those nagging pains slowing down movement (time for an adjustment!) you’ll appreciate just how important everyday movement is. It wasn’t so long ago that the archetypical image of children was one of them tearing around a park or playground at a million miles an hour…today, maybe not so much…
Life is motion
Life is motion. Moving every day is crucially important to your overall health and wellness. Everything from cardiovascular disease to depression has been tied to a lack of physical activity, and if we didn’t already sense that too much time sat around doing not very much isn’t good for us, the last few years spent in and out of lockdown certainly cleared that up! Getting enough exercise is critical for good health both physical and psychological, but now as the lockdown lifts, are our children getting back to exercise enough?
During the last few years, many of us have encouraged our children to rely on screens more than ever – this has been essential in order for schooling to continue in some kind of meaningful way, but, if we’re honest, it’s also often been easier simply to allow kids to spend 8-10 hours a day absorbed in a game or binging on Netflix. Frankly, there hasn’t been much on offer as an alternative! Parents without a garden have, in many cases, had no option but to keep their kids shut inside for weeks if not months, so no one’s blaming you for the fact that the kids are now more reluctant than ever to get out and exercise. Now though, it’s time to encourage them to get back outside!
Why it Matters:
If your child is tied to the latest video game or app, you know it can be challenging to encourage exercise and physical activity. However, carving out enough time to move is not only essential for your physical health but also your brain. Being sedentary during childhood slows down your brain’s ability to learn “movement skills.” You can think of these skills in terms of agility and hand/eye coordination.
- Over 65% of kids aren’t getting enough daily physical activity.
- Lack of activity has been linked to everything from cardiovascular disease to depression.
- An astonishing 99% of kids don’t have age-appropriate movement skill proficiency. [1]
Next Steps:
Establishing consistent habits of physical activity and movement as a child is an essential first step towards enabling a lifetime of good health. Movement starts with your nervous system and spine. Our practice is focused on helping you and your family stay active and live a happier, healthier life.
[1] Youth-Physical Activity Towards Health: evidence and background to the development of the Y-PATH physical activity intervention for adolescents. BMC Public Health 2014
