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Reasons to Promote Physical Activity Among Kids

25. October 2022 Administrator Blog (0)
Playing organized sports, exercising, free play, games, strolling, recreational sport, cycling, dancing, jogging, climbing, swimming, and so on are all examples of physical activities for kids. Physical activities are essential for a child's growth and development; therefore, children must participate in some form of physical activity.

Some important reasons to promote physical activity among kids are:

Promotes Physical Wellbeing

A balanced diet accompanied by good physical activity helps to strengthen muscles, improves posture, and builds healthy bone mass & density. Activities like running, swimming, dancing, jogging, etc., enhance cardiovascular fitness and help to maintain a healthy weight. In addition, regular practice builds up the immune system and boosts overall health, keeping diseases & infections at bay.

Mental Health

Feeling-good hormones are released when a child enjoys a particular game or physical activity. This can improve your child's mood, reduce tension and anxiety, and even encourage healthy sleep.

Cognitive & Motor Development

Physical activity is linked to improved cognitive and motor function. Activities, particularly games, engage many brain faculties, resulting in increased memory and focus, greater hand-eye co-ordination, balance and flexibility, problem-solving skills, improved learning appetite, visual processing, and so on. All of these abilities can also improve children's academic performance.

Promotes Healthy Social Skills

Physical activities such as basketball, football, dance, etc. teach various skills to students like team work, patience, cooperation & conflict resolution, respecting personal boundaries, leadership, resilience, and communication.

Improved Self-Esteem

Active physical play has positive effects on a child's personality and development. It fosters a sense of inclusion while increasing opportunities for participation and interaction among children. This can significantly boost their self-esteem and confidence levels. It can also help to build a positive body image.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas offers clubs & programs to help young people enhance their social, physical, and academic proficiency. The programs are packed with activities to encourage positive behaviors and healthy. Some programs to promote physical activities among kids are:

  • All Stars (Age 6-18) is an organized league sport and fitness program for flag football, basketball and dance teams for youth.
  • SMART Girls (Age 8-18) helps girls to develop healthy eating attitudes and skills. It aids in maintaining their physical fitness and fostering positive interactions with peers and adults.
  • Triple Play (Age 6-18) is a health and wellness program that stresses the significance of physical activity and proper nutrition.

To know more about promoting physical activity among kids in Killeen, visit Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas, 703 N 8th St. Killeen, TX – 76541. You can also browse through www.bgctx.org

How Physical Activities Help Kids in Academics

29. December 2021 Administrator Blog (0)
As per The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, children and adolescents should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise/physical activity every day. This not only helps in improving their overall health, but also boosts academic performance.

Let us take a look at how physical activities affect academic performance:

  • Better Cognitive and Motor Skills: The dynamic interaction between cognitive and motor skills during physical activities help in improving attention span and coping levels which help in academics.
  • Academic Behavior: Physical activities improve academic behavior by promoting a positive range of behaviors such as organization, attendance, planning, scheduling, on-task behavior and more. Kids who engage in after-school physical activities enjoy superior allocation of neural resources for better working memory tasks in class.
  • Higher Attendance: Children who participate in any form of physical activity during school hours or after school are more likely to enjoy better health than those who are sedentary. Better heath translates into higher attendance and good grades in the long run.
  • Better Sleep: Sleep is crucial for optimal brain functioning as it affects how neurons interact and communicate with one another. Children who are physically active tend to enjoy better and deeper sleep which impacts their brains functioning and academic performance. They have reduced stress and anxiety levels and are calmer and more focused throughout their school hours.
  • Problem-Solving Skills: Team work and competition are usually a part of physical activities. These skills also help in academics as they teach kids the value of setting goals and achieving them. They learn how to solve problems in order to get the desired result. This makes them more focused, consistent and resilient even in academics.
  • More Energy: Children who are engaged in one form of physical activity or the other are more energetic in the classroom. Physical activity rejuvenates the mind and body as a result of which children are fresher and more alert during their learning sessions. They have a better understanding and retention power of what is taught in class.
One of the best ways of encouraging children to be active is to engage them in an after-school club where a variety of physical activities are available for children of different age-groups. This will not only improve your child’s academic performance, but also his/her mental and emotional health. Physically active children are more engaged and motivated in the process of learning due to which they are more likely to get higher test scores and grades.

To know more about after-school activities for kids, visit Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas at 703 N 8th St Killeen, TX-76541 USA (Ph: 254-699-5808 Ext:102).