Physical Fitness -

Physical fitness has never been more important than it is today, especially with the advent and constant use of technology. As a whole, we are not the physically active people we were even fifty years ago and because of this, obesity is an all too common problem for our adults and even our children. With this in mind, physical fitness becomes even more important for adults to teach young children. Proper physical fitness is needed for or aides every stage and form of development. Through activity children learn how to control their bodies, building with blocks, and running. All of these activities are physically active and since they combine both gross and fine motor skills, they are crucial to preschool age child development.

     There are so many activities that help children with their motor skills, both fine and gross. Some physical activities that children can do that also help them to be engaged in physical activities are; walking up and down stairs starting with alternate feet, play catch, play games that involve running such as Red Rover and kickball, and allowing plenty of time at parks and playgrounds that have preschool safe play equipment. Many of these activities also help with fine motor skills, such as playing catch and some of the activities on playgrounds. What is truly amazing is how physical activity plays such a major role in developing cognitively and social-emotionally (MediBank Private, 2009). 

     I found an article that has evidence that children’s brain development is actually linked to a child’s physical fitness. According to this article MRI measurements showed that children who are more active are more efficient at utilizing oxygen than those who were not physically fit (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2010). So what does this mean? It means that children who are more physically fit have healthier hippocampuses, one part of the brain known to be used in learning and memory. New neurons, cell survival, and enhanced memory and learning was shown to be higher for these children whose bodies are physically healthier than those who are not (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2010). Knowing that a child’s state of physical fitness directly correlates to their ability to learn and retain are one of the major pros for helping our children become more physically active. This study shows that children who do not engage in physical activity have portions of their brains that are not as healthy as they could be, this is a major drawback to having inactive children.

     Adults play a huge role in helping children to become more physically active, just as they are instrumental in a child’s proper nutrition. Adults should set a good example for their children by being active themselves and then leading children in active play(Child Development Institute Parenting Today, 1999-2012). While I know that our lives today are extremely busy, most of us have thirty minutes to get up and play a game or take a walk with our kids. We need to make these activities fun so that our children want to keep doing them. My husband and I will take our daughters to a nearby park that has dense forests with walking trails. We then make a fairy find game where we look for clues to see if fairies live in those woods. We jump and run, squat down, climb, we draw shapes on trees to try and open the fairies hidden doors, and use our imaginations to play. Most of what we are doing is promoting gross and fine motor skills. The internet is full of excellent ideas for parent and child play. I love these times with my daughters and try to make games as often as possible so that my children never struggle with maintaining healthy bodies.

     The quote by Pliny the Younger, “It is remarkable how one’s wits are sharpened by physical exercise” is one that anyone with children should know and live by. I am guilty of too often thinking of the body and mind as separate entities, when in reality they are so connected that typically the healthier one’s body is the healthier their mind. To develop through the multiple stages of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional, children need physical activity. Parents and teachers need to be the ones leading these activities as family and fun times. When children are physically healthy, they have so many more opportunities because they are not held back by their bodies and can push themselves to the next level of development. These are the ideas that adults who participate in children’s lives need to keep in mind and physical activity is every bit as important as reading, numbers and shapes. 

Reference

Child Development Institute Parenting Today. (1999-2012). 5 Parenting Tips To Help Your

Child Get More Exercise. Retrieved from http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-teen-

health/parenting-children-physical-exercise.shtml

MediBank Private. (2009). Wiggle Into Health. Retrieved from

http://www.wiggleintohealth.com/physical-activity.html

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2010, September 15). Children's brain development

is linked to physical fitness, research finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 6, 2012, from

http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2010/09/100915171536.htm