It has been proven that physical activity is a crucial ingredient to the well-being of our bodies, minds, and spirits. Exercise helps us stay healthy, reduces stress, and improves moods.
But adults are not the only ones who need to work out to sustain good health. Children and teens need to exercise as well.
Kids are facing unprecedented challenges. Academic pressure, urban living, economic and societal strains, and excess screen time all contribute to a more sedentary lifestyle and stress.
Youth who do not exercise are more likely to have health problems, be overweight, not have healthy outlets for managing stress, and their grades and test scores may even suffer.
Parents can change the trajectory of their childs path by rolemodeling physical activity and supporting their child in getting involved in exercise that they love.
Paseo Club supports kids and teens in living a healthy lifestyle. That is why we compiled the research to share with you what are the benefits of keeping your child physically active.
Benefits of physically active kids
1. Good mental health
Research has shown that 8–9% of children and adolescents show symptoms of depression. Kids with depression have increased levels of behavioral problems and anxiety.
Children who experience depression in their youth have a higher risk of experiencing depression as an adult. Therefore early intervention is key.
In one study, kids ages 9-11 were observed over a five-week period. They were prescribed exercise four times per week. Scientists discovered that children who engaged in the program had decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety.
A second study indicated that exercise also increased positive self-image, life satisfaction, and overall well-being.
A third study based in Canada discovered that kids who exercised experienced a feeling of relaxation afterward. This may seem like an unimportant factor, but for kids who are in a state of regular stress relaxation can provide a welcome respite.
Exercise is considered a safe, non-pharmaceutical method to help relieve or minimize depressive and anxious thoughts and increase overall well-being in kids.
2. Healthy weight
Increased video gaming, television watching, and computer screen time are highly associated with the development of obesity.
Childhood obesity is associated with many health problems.
- Fatigue
- Skin disorders
- Joint problems and pain
- Asthma and other respiratory problems
- Sleep disorders, including apnea
- Early onset of puberty and menstruation
- High blood pressure and elevated cholesterol
- Type 2 diabetes
Children who are active 60 minutes per day demonstrate lower rates of obesity. In a second study, researchers found that for every one hour of moderate-to-vigorous activity, there is a 10% decrease in the risk of developing obesity.
3. Better in school
We all know that if a child is hungry or underslept that they will struggle to pay attention and learn in class. This results in low retention and poor grades and test scores.
New information from the Center for Disease Control now shows that greater rates of activity in children are associated with higher test scores in reading and math. The inverse is that kids who are more sedentary have worse test scores.
Active kids also have better school attendance and perform better cognitively, indicating that they memorize material better.
4. Well-integrated sensory systems
Play-based activities that require a high degree of sensory input (sight, sound, touch, etc.) help develop a broad array of skills that make physical activity more enjoyable later in life. It also helps to:
- Improves self-regulation
- Enhance motor planning ability
- Modulate the sensory systems
- Improve functioning in school and home
- Improve independence with normal daily activities
- Support active involvement and exploration of environments
- Increase efficiency in the organization of sensory information
When a child’s sensory system is well-integrated, their movements are more refined, their focus improves, and they perform better. They can also manage multiple inputs of sensory stimuli at one time without feeling stressed or overwhelm.
5. Improved behavior
Frequent physical activity has been associated with improved behavior in the classroom and beyond. (And what teacher doesn’t love well-behaved students?)
A second study published in Pediatrics reviewed children with behavioral disorders in kindergarten through 10th grade. The kids who participated in a cycling program for 30-40 minutes two days per week experienced significantly better self-regulation and fewer disciplinary time-outs.
Movement before school or during recess, such as walking, biking, skating, or playing on the playground, can help children pay attention, follow instructions, and be less disruptive in class.
6. Active kids=active adults
As parents, we try to model healthy habits to our children. In the realm of physical fitness, this is especially important because a growing body of research indicates that active children are more likely to become active adults.
Creating wholesome practices sets the stage for the rest of our children’s lives. Eating a balanced diet, getting adequate rest, and being physically active are all important components of living a healthy life.
7. Builds the brain
Aerobic activity increases the size of an essential brain structure, the hippocampus, and several neural connections.
Fitter kids with larger hippocampi also had better relational memory — the ability to remember and integrate various types of information. This is a key skill for kids in school who are constantly learning new material.
Exercise also:
- Enhances cognition, including attention and executive function
- Increases attentiveness
- Improves cognitive processing
- Increases stimulus classification speed
8. Enhances social connections
Group exercise aids in the development of important interpersonal skills — this is especially true for kids who participate in team sports.
Social skills that kids can learn from team sports include:
- How to cope with both victory and defeat
- How to interact with others
- How to lead a group
- How to negotiate and cooperate
- How to be unselfish
Team sports also bring adult mentors into children’s lives that advise and guide them. Engaging in team sports, especially with a supportive adult, fosters a sense of belonging.
9. Good lifestyle choices
As our kids get older they spend more time away from home and our watchful care. Part of their maturation process is that they have increased independence and decision-making power.
Whether we like it or not, kids, especially teens, will face tough choices. Luckily, team sports help kids make healthy lifestyle decisions.
Teens who engage in team sports tend to smoke, drink alcohol, use recreational drugs, eat unhealthily, carry weapons, and have sex less than teens who do not participate in team sports.
10. Greater self-efficacy
Children who exercise regularly experience self-efficacy concerning their health and self-image.
In fact, research evidence has shown physical self-efficacy to be both a determinant and a consequence of physical activity.
What this means is that kids who exercise feel a greater sense of being able to accomplish a task or physical feat and that previous successes help them feel even more capable of facing future challenges.
Next steps to getting your child active
We all want what is best for our kids. After reading this article, we now know that physical activity is one of the single most important aspects of children’s lives. It helps their academics, supports their mental health, and reduces the chance of obesity.
There is a wide range of choices available to most kids— field and court games, martial arts, dance, swimming, running, biking, and more. What matters is that your child enjoys the activity and can engage in it multiple times per week.
Paseo Club developed seven different programs for kids — swimming, martial arts, tennis, and kid fitness, to name a few. Teens fourteen and older can preview and sign up any of our 60+ adult fitness classes.
Want to learn more about Paseo’s programs for kids? See for yourself in real life by signing up for a tour.
Interested in seeing what the greater Santa Clarita Valley has to offer the youth of the community? Check out all of the amazing options!
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