Why should children get active instead of spending 3 hours playing video games a day?

According to a study by the University of Wollongong (Australia), giving children 30 to 40 minutes of exercise a day will develop better cognition and learning ability than other children.

In fact, many scientific studies have shown that physical activity has a lot of health benefits. Therefore, modern parents need a different view of movement to help their baby develop physically and intellectually.

Why should you let your child get more exercise?

Heart health: Just like other muscles, the heart muscle gets stronger and more resilient when you exercise regularly. This helps to prevent the risk of diseases related to heart disease , which is the leading cause of death.

Good for the arteries and veins: Exercise lowers harmful cholesterol and fats, increasing the flexibility of blood vessel walls, which can indirectly reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes .

Strengthens the lung: Regular exercise helps the lung's gas exchange function work better. This will increase the body's ability to absorb oxygen and flush out many toxins. 

Reduces blood sugar: Being active stimulates the muscles to absorb more glucose and use it for energy. This helps prevent sugar from building up in the bloodstream and reduces the risk of diabetes .

Weight management: Physical activity habits can help release the excess calories that babies consume each day, thereby helping to prevent fat accumulation and help maintain a stable weight.

Strong bones: Children who are physically active as a child will achieve the highest bone density compared to children who are inactive. From there, the child will avoid the risk of osteoporosis in the future.

In particular, in addition to the above benefits, many studies also prove that movement can stimulate the production, connect nerve cells, improve brain capacity, thereby increase IQ, develop concentration, information processing and creativity. Specifically, the movement will increase the amount of neurotransmitters, stimulating the connection between neurons (the basic, most important component of the brain). During the motor process, the heart is also more active, the blood carrying more oxygen and essential nutrients is pumped steadily to the brain, thereby helping the brain function effectively.

Not only that, regular exercise is also a way to help strengthen the immune system to prevent the risk of disease. The reason is that when exercising, the body will release sweat to help excrete toxins and wash away harmful bacteria that accumulate on the skin. This enhances the skin's defenses to help protect the body from harmful environmental agents, especially pathogenic bacteria.

5 simple but healthy kids movement games

1. Cycling

Cycling around the neighborhood is a great activity that you should encourage your child to do regularly. In addition to enhancing physical activity , cycling also helps children become confident and bold. Not only that, in the process of cycling, children need to skillfully coordinate between legs (pedal) and hands (turn steering) and eyes must carefully observe the surrounding space. From there, children will learn the necessary experiences and skills for themselves.

2. Play at the park

This is also a fun activity for the whole family because playing at the park not only allows children to run and play freely, but also gives the whole family a chance to relax and breathe fresh air. Note that if you are playing during the day, in addition to having some snacks ready, you need to prepare a hat and sunscreen. In addition, you should bring a little antibacterial soap to clean the child's hands and feet after playing.

3. Swimming

Swimming not only promotes health, but also is a useful life skill that can help children protect themselves in dangerous situations. Not only that, many studies also prove that swimming helps to produce many growth hormones, thereby helping children reach maximum height. 

In particular, children who swim regularly also develop their language and motor skills earlier than those who are not trained. In addition, children who love to swim also have a better immune system because the children who can swim often have confidence, happy mood, independent and adaptable to all circumstances.

4. Play badminton

This is a fairly simple activity but full of laughter and can strengthen relationships among family members. The whole family can split into 2 teams and play together. This way, both you and your baby have time to be active without feeling tired. 

5. Play hide and seek

Hide and Seek is a familiar game in everyone's childhood, but few people expect that this game brings a lot of benefits to your baby's development. In addition to enhancing physical health, this game also teaches children the concept of the existence of things, encourages children to use their imagination and develops problem-solving skills such as trying to find good places. best to hide or to find the target.

Any physical activity has potential risks and so does this "hide and seek" game. It is important that you create a safe area for your baby, forbid your baby to climb to a certain height and show them where they should not hide. In addition, you should also convention a signal to end the game in case you cannot find it because the child is hiding too well or is too late and it's time to go home.

Hopefully, with the above sharing, your baby will have a good time to have fun.