Youth Fitness & Mental Health
Exercise has many benefits that go beyond physical improvements, especially in regards to children. With more research being done, we are understanding many more positive qualities that structured activity can bring. Mental illness has become one of the most considered topics among adolescence and children. Daily stressors, which are different today than many adults had growing up (digital bullying etc.) can lead children to deal with normal stress and present a daily challenge. While exercise does not solve the problems, it can be used as a tool to stay healthy both physically, emotionally and mentally. Some of the benefits are listed below:
1 Academic benefits:
Attention span in children's increases when being physically active. And an improvement in their consistency can be noted after doing exercise. According to the researched journal, the children who exercise daily achieve better academic performance. (de Greeff, J.W, Vol. 21, 2018).
2 Improved Behavior:
So many children are going through behavioral disorders like hyperactivity disorder, anxiety & depression, autism, or attention deficit. Physical exercise can help them get better and lead them to self-love.
In a study held in kindergarten through 10th grade, it was observed that the children who participated in physical games like cycling for about two weeks seemed to have more satisfactory self-regulations and rarer disciplinary time-outs. (Bowling, A.Vol. 139, No. 2, 2017).
3 Cognitive Development:
Cognitive development is the creative thinking of children that how they think, feel, and explore things. Exercise helps the children to figure out things better and partake in their mental growth. It helps them to understand the world around them.
4 Good Mental Health:
There are numerous studies showing that physical activity positively affects the mental health of children and adolescents, especially ages between 8 to 19.
When children activity increases, there is a lowered: depression, anxiety, and stress. Children also get a higher level of self-satisfaction, self-construction, and good well-being. (Rodriguez-Ayllon, Vol. 49, No. 9, 2019).
Final Verdict:
Mental health must be the priority of your children so that they must be able to cope with daily pressure. Every day exercise can increase resilience, reduce stress, boosts well-being, and grow positive mental health in adolescents and children.
Regular exercise also improves your child's essential movement skills. In addition to better mental health, exercise and physical activity also build healthy muscles, bones, lungs, and heart. So, it must be considered an essential part of the growth of children. Visit our website www.fightforhearts.org and our blog to learn more about benefits of exercise!
References:
de Greeff, J.W(2018) Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport retrieved from JSAMS: https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(17)31641-9/fulltext
Bowling (2017), Cybercycling Effects on Classroom Behavior in Children With Behavioral Health Disorders retrieved from Pediatrics: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/139/2/e20161985/60107/Cybercycling-Effects-on-Classroom-Behavior-in?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Rodriguez-Ayllon (2019) Role of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in the Mental Health of Preschoolers, Children, and Adolescents retrieved from Sports Medicine: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-019-01099-5
Jackson (2016), Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology retrieved from Ovid: https://oce.ovid.com/article/00008506-201610000-00016/HTML
