PHYSICAL FITNESS

Explain what can happen when children do not engage in healthy fitness activities. Be sure to consider the impact on children of being overweight or obese, including implications for health and self-esteem.

Physical activity is an essential component for wellness (Robertson, 2013). Physical activity helps children to develop their health and well-being. Preschoolers need a physical activity in their daily routine to help lower the risk of being overweight or obese. Children today are using the computer, playing video games, and using cell phones, all of which are more sedentary activities that may correlate to the increase in childhood obesity (Robertson, 2013).

Children that do not engage in healthy fitness activities seem to have the risk of hypertension, weak bones, weak muscles, anxiety, and low self-esteem.  Obesity and overweight comes from excess weight created by energy imbalance. If the child is taken in more energy into the body, by over eating, and not enough energy putting out, the imbalance will turn into excess energy which turns into stored body fat. Obesity and overweight can cause medical problems in a child’s life, such as heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, and osteoporosis. Children that are active in early childhood should be encouraged to remain that way.

Indicate how adults can help children develop good fitness habits. Describe at least two activities, such as specific games or movements, which are appropriate and enjoyable for children of this age. At least one of the activities should involve gross-(locomotor) skills and another should involve fine-motor (manipulate) skills. Remember, the activities you recommend should be developmentally appropriate, which includes noncompetitive.

Adult can help children develop good fitness habits by first having good fitness habits themselves, and participate in the children activities (Robertson, 2013). Have the children to turn off the television for a few hours and help to do some house chores, or play some indoors games like doing puzzles to exercise those creative, cognitive and problem-solving muscles. They can also do the freeze game with some music playing. The parents can increase their daily activities by making them get off the sofa and go outside and play kickball with their friends or siblings, play tag or football, or play jump rope, or some basketball. If they live close to a store or school, make them walk or ride a bike, instead of them riding in a car or on a bus. Always encouraged your child to do well in whatever they do rather it’s dealing with their health or not, because that will help them to have good self-esteem about themselves.

Based on your readings, include at least one inspirational, thought-provoking quote that captures your attitude and/or philosophy about fostering children's healthy growth and development.

Nothing happens until something moves. Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving (Albert Einstein). It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed (Theodore Roosevelt). It is important to encourage young people to participate in physical activities that are appropriate for their age, that are enjoyable, and that offer variety (www.health.gov). Children need good basic nutrition for normal growth and development, cognitive function, immunity, and energy expenditure (Robertson, 2013). Foods provide the basic nutrients for the body to grow, repair, regulate, and maintain itself (Robertson, 2013).

For your fact sheet, draw on the information in the fitness articles from this week's Required Resources and your own research to provide evidence about the positive impact that physical activity has on children's health, both now and in the future. Be sure to cite your sources.

Physical activity helps children to develop their health and well-being. Toddlers need at least thirty minutes of structure physical activity daily. Preschoolers should engage at least sixty minutes, and up to several hours daily in unstructured physical activity, and should not be sedentary for more than sixty minutes at a time except sleeping (Robertson, 2013). Children should also have complex movement task in their activity routine. Children should have indoors and outdoors activities that meet standards for performing large muscle activity. Childhood obesity and physical inactivity are clearly major concern these days, and everyone in the educational community needs to be part of the solution. So, while children are still young, let us help them develop motor skill competence and a love of being physical active. All it takes to encourage an active start is a little time and imagination and commitment to a healthy lifestyle (Robertson, 2013).

                                                            

Reference:

http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200605/GoodwayBTJ.pdf

Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5^th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

www.health.gov