Top 5 reasons children should keep active and eat healthy!
Keeping children active, healthy and getting them involved in extracurricular activities is massively important. The perks are endless: it helps them make friends, they can enjoy themselves, it can teach them what it means to be a team-player, and the best one – it tires them out so they’re ready for bed early!
We could go on and on about the benefits of keeping your child on the go and moving about – but we’re asking the question: why should we really be encouraging children to engage in sports and other activities? Keeping them up and about is a bonus, but that’s not all there is to it.
With it being BNF Healthy Eating Week, we’re digging a little deeper and exploring exactly why it’s important for children to keep active and eat healthy!
1. It’s been proven through research that children who exercise often are more likely to perform better academically – and it even promotes good attendance! It’s not just about keeping active though, it’s about keeping a healthy mind-set and maintaining general wellbeing as a child is growing up. Exercise releases endorphins, which gives kids bundles of energy throughout the day, and most importantly, when they’re at school.
2. Children who exercise have better mental health and have fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mental illness’ – research shows. With mental health being acknowledged and spoken about more than ever now, it can’t be ignored and it’s increasingly important for all children to stay active in some way.
3. Eating healthy as a child means you’re more likely to keep maintaining a good diet as an adult, and the same goes for exercising too.
4. It’s proven that children who eat well and exercise regularly have a much better quality of sleep. A good sleep contributes to so much – general wellbeing, a good mood, higher energy levels and much more.
5. Olympic Gymnast Beth Tweddle says: “taking part in a sport can really increase a child’s confidence and self-esteem.”
At Total Gymnastics, we encourage children to keep active and broaden their skillset, and give them an opportunity to go beyond their own expectations to improve their confidence. We run classes in venues all over the North West (UK) that your child can get involved in.
