In Brazil, one in three children is overweight. This high rate is not only due to the fact that little children today eat more processed products than natural ingredients, but also because they do not play sports.
Because they have to devote time to work, personal life, and motherhood, women let their children spend hours at their computer or video games. And worrying consequence of this situation is the sedentary Child obesity.
Children carrying a sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk of developing heart problems, diabetes or other chronic diseases. For this reason, more than being mindful of eating, mothers should encourage their children to practice sports early.
No matter what the sport, childhood sports are fundamental to healthy growth and yet provide benefits to body and mind. Check out these benefits:
- Tightening of the musculature;
- Favoring psychomotor development;
- Promotion social integration;
- Creation of healthy habits;
And speaking of modalities, one must be careful when choosing the sport that the child will practice. For example, even babies can engage in physical activity. Through swimming, sports involving rules and competition should be left to older children, who are already mature to understand that they can lose or win.
Learn about kids' favorite activities and find out which ones are best for your child:
1. Swimming: Due to the movements under water, swimming can improve breathing capacity, increase balance, strength and motor coordination, as well as develop psychomotor activities. This activity assists in the prevention and recovery of asthma, bronchitis and orthopedic problems.
The practice is recommended from 6 months of age.
2. Dance: Doing synchronized ballet steps or doing any other kind of dance is a great way to exercise the body. Dancing develops motor coordination, agility, lightness, flexibility, balance and strength, and offers notions of rhythm, time and space.
Children from 3 years old can move their body in rehearsed choreography.
3. Martial Arts: Karate, Judo and Tae-Kwon-Do develop the discipline and character of the child, characteristics that can be transferred even to studies. In addition, these sports stimulate balance, flexibility and agility.
Sports recommended for children aged 4 and over.
4. Football, handball, volleyball and basketball: As practiced in teams, these sports develop the ability to work in groups and to interact with other children. The child himself can choose one of these modalities.
Through playful activities, it is possible to start practicing soccer, handball, volleyball and basketball from the age of 3. However, to start competitions and sports rules, children must be at least 5 years old.
Pediatrician Julia Borges explains that "behind the interest in maintaining a healthy routine, children should see the fun nature of sports during childhood."
Pay-to-play sports keeping low-income kids out of the game (April 2024)
- Children and adolescents
- 1,230
