- Could You Spot the Silent Symptoms of Stress?
- Gas Stoves Could Leave Your Lungs Vulnerable to Nitrogen Dioxide
- Key Therapy Equally Effective for Women, Men With Narrowed Leg Arteries
- Doctors Describe Texas Dairy Farm Worker’s Case of Bird Flu
- Does Preschool Boost Kids’ Long-Term Academic Success? Study Finds Mixed Results
- AI Might Spot Rare Diseases in Patients Years Earlier
- An Orangutan Healed Himself With Medicinal Plant
- Quit-Smoking Meds Not Working for You? Try Upping the Dose
- Fewer Americans Are Suffering Most Dangerous Form of Heart Attack
- Even Skipping Meat for One Meal Helps Liver Disease Patients
Setting Preschoolers on an Active Path
Physical activity is closely linked to development of a child’s mental skills — ones essential to academic success and navigating challenges they’ll face throughout life.
Studies show that boosts in thinking ability, or executive function, often follow bouts of activity. But only one-third of children are physically active every day. Less than half the time they spend in school activities — like physical education, team practices and even games — includes movement that qualifies as physical activity. This shortfall means that their physical health, as well as their mental skills, may suffer.
Some problems can begin during the preschool years if youngsters don’t get the activity they need for motor skill development.
A 4- or 5-year-old needs 30 minutes of exercise every day. In addition to other benefits, this amount of exercise can also help kids who are overweight stem further fat increases. Introduce your preschoolers to fun and age-appropriate activities. Give them “active toys” like a tricycle and a ball to kick and throw, and encourage active games like tag, hide-and-seek and hopscotch.
When kids enter elementary school, help them explore various team sports, such as soccer or T-ball. As they get older, they might like the challenges of running or strength training.
Make time for exercise in your child’s schedule at every age and join in. Children who see their parents engaged in physical activity are more likely to do it and enjoy it themselves.
More information
HealthyChildren.org has more on how to encourage your child to be more active, along with other resources you can access.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.