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Children are not little adults and they should not be treated as such. Very definitely not when it comes to physical exercise and nutrition.
A child's body is still growing: the bones are a lot softer than those of adults, the muscles are not fully developed, lungs and heart are smaller as are all other inner organs. Therefore, if a child would train in the same way an adult does the child would very quickly damage vital organs, the bones and/or the muscles.
But there is no doubt that today's children should be a lot more active than they are. It is a shocking fact that 8% of all 4 year old children in this country are already clinically obese and a staggering 20% of them are over weight. And the figures are on the increase!!
Unfortunately schools don't seem to help here: one or two PE lessons per week is simply nowhere near enough for anyone to be fit and healthy, never mind a child who needs to be physically active in order for all body tissues to develop properly. On top of that school meals often leave much to be desired.
At home, watching television and playing computer games are usually preferred to out door activities like cycling, running around in the park or simply kicking a ball around. Boys fare marginally better than girls here.
And the weekends are not much different either: one of the best liked "treats" for children is a trip to the local fast food place where they fill up on food which is high in fat and sugar both of which will lead to clogged up arteries over time, especially when combined with a low activity level. It is no coincidence that even teenagers suffer Heart Attacks these days!
If you want your child to get into good habits from the start to lead a healthy, fit and happy life then you may want to enlist the help of a well qualified YMCA Personal Trainer to teach your child how to be active at the right level for his/her age. Contact me. Even a child needs an individual programme to develop in the right way. And if your child is taught about good nutrition at a young age you know that he/she is in a good position to implement all of this for the rest of their lives.
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