Physical activity goes a long way when it comes to growing kids. It’s actually a physical activity that helps your little ones to learn healthy habits and become healthy as they grow up.
Did you know that physical activity has a lot of benefits in store for your child?
- It strengthens bones and muscles and organs, such as the heart and lungs
- It reduces the risk of being overweight or obesity and a number of diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and type-2 diabetes
- It improves their coordination, posture, flexibility, and balance
- It helps increase self-esteem, making them feel confident and make friends more easily
- It helps them focus more
Actually, physical activity is not necessarily exercising; it’s not all about doing push-ups and the like. Physical activity can already be a walk to the park, a friend’s house or even dancing to their favourite songs.
If you’re a first-time parent, you’re already asking on how much physical activity is needed by growing kids. There are actually guidelines to follow on children’s physical activity based on their age group.
1-5 years old — toddlers are required to have some form of physical activity several times every day, which are basically floor play and crawling. Parents should also allow their little ones who are not yet able to get up and move that much with at least 30 minutes of tummy time. Basically, tummy time is when the baby is on his tummy while weight is on their forearms.
5-18 years — when going to their teenage years, it’s now time to motivate them to do moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day. Then, they should incorporate activities that strengthen muscles and bones at least three times a week.
What are these activities?
Moderate physical activity — this type of exercise are activities that will make children gently huffing and puffing. An example is an intense brisk walk to the park.
Strong physical activity — obviously, this type of exercise will definitely make your child huffing, puffing and sweating more than moderate physical activity. Some exercises under this category are fast bike riding and running games.
Aside from the two, there are also activities that target muscles and bones, strengthening these parts of the body. But moderate and strong physical activity can also help to strengthen muscles and bones. Examples of this are climbing, lifting, running, and jumping.
As a parent, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to where children can have their daily dose of physical activity. You can search for indoor playgrounds near your home to continuously supervise your children while at play.
On the other hand, playground owners should be able to maintain their playgrounds to ensure safety for the children. They should also install equipment that promotes health and wellness so that children can also exercise different parts of their bodies while having fun with friends. Playground owners can contact iREC, a commercial playground manufacturer that has deceased of experience and trusted by different international organisations. Contact us through +63 47 250 2779 or sales@irec.ph to see our equipment catalogue and to get a quote.