The need for kids to move more

By Tommy Flaherty from Activate Fitness

It seems obvious at first glance that kids need to move more – the obesity epidemic is growing, and technology invites a more sedentary lifestyle and creates a new set of movement problems.

Sports specialisation along with helicopter parenting have fostered a generation or two who have not experienced, and are not experiencing, play as children.

Children are missing something natural – normal healthy movement, a variety of sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes heavy, and sometimes difficult exertion. So, we should have kids workout because we see that the lack of movement is bad.

Why kids should workout

Kids should work out because it encourages, supports, and helps sustain good physical and mental health. As it develops, the human body needs movement to properly make use of natural physiological, as well as psychological and social development milestones in the most optimal way.

There is an abundance of research out there identifying the benefits of physical activity for various aspects of our well-being: brain function, cardiorespiratory health, lymphatic system, mental health, etc. We need to move for optimal health, no matter our age.

“Kids Can’t Express What They Don’t Possess”

It seems intuitive that this is the case; however, many parents and fitness coaches assume modifying an adult-based programme is good enough.

It is easy to fall into the trap of desiring that your child engages in an activity that you enjoy, without thought or accommodation to the idea of what is best for the child and how that differs at each biopsychosocial age.

For example, when biological expression is considered, what are kids able to gain from the training stimulus, if anything? Is increased work capacity or power output a proper goal for a seven-year-old?

We can begin moving toward what to do, and how to do it once we agree on why we need to do it. All children should exercise with a plan that is designed with their development, physiological stage, and best interests in mind.

Prepare, Practice and Play

We at Activate, along with The Brand X Method, embrace this in each class with our Prepare • Practice • Play framework, which provides an easy-to-retain class structure and acts as a training roadmap.

Physical skills are introduced in Prepare. Movement patterns are worked on in Practice. As kids move through our programme they learn new skills and refine movement patterns in both an age and developmentally appropriate manner. Kids then apply what they learn to movement problems presented during Play, creating their own unique movement solutions.

This expanded physical capability can be defined as physical literacy, which is foundational to athleticism. We’ve all seen kids like this, those with the confidence, competence, and motivation to engage with all of the varied environments they encounter in the world. They move differently, with a distinctive rhythm and grace; they are often called “natural athletes”. The world is their playground, and they are capable of playing there for the rest of their lives, moving from one challenge to the next with freedom and fearlessness.