Why is physical development important for a child: The importance of physical development — CREC

The importance of physical development — CREC

From sitting up on their own to throwing a ball, children gradually develop the physical skills needed for their adult lives. 

Physical development includes both growth and the ability to use muscles and body parts for particular skills. Both gross (large muscle movements) and fine (small movements) motor skills contribute to physical development, and children often learn a set of skills by a certain age.  

Physical development experiences and activities are crucial in the early years and are cited as one of the three prime areas of learning and development in the Early Years Statutory Framework (EYFS) .

 The EYFS states that early education programmes should: 

“provide opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to food. “

If you are worried your child is not meeting these developmental milestones by the recommended age, you can engage your child in some physical activities to reach these goals.

Step 1  – Determine which developmental milestones you would like to address and are appropriate for your child’s age

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide a list of these milestones through age 5 years, and your child’s physician will also have a list.

Step 2 – Write down a list of activities that will aid your child’s physical development for each milestone

Choose activities that will address more than one skill.

For example, playing baseball will increase muscle strength through holding the bat, improve the gross motor skills needed for swinging a bat and develop hand-eye coordination by hitting the ball.

Make sure your activities are developmentally appropriate for your child; for example, a 12-month-old child cannot hop on one foot, so don’t use an activity that requires this action.

Step 3 – Encourage independence with your child

If you go out, don’t let them sit in the stroller, but rather make them walk.

If your child is old enough to feed themselves, let them eat finger foods or use a spoon.

Step 4 – Engage your child in music and movement activities

March to a song with a strong beat to encourage steadier gait. Practice jumping, spinning, hopping, crawling or tiptoeing to a lively tune.

Purchase a keyboard or drum and let your child explore the instrument and play along with their favourite songs. 

Step 5 – Foster fine motor skills through art and tactile experiences

If it’s age-appropriate, let your child cut with scissors or grab small pieces of construction paper to glue to a larger sheet of paper.

Draw circles and squares to practice the fine motor skills needed for writing. String beads onto a piece of yarn to make a necklace or bracelet.

Place pebbles, pearls or plastic objects inside a box of sand and let your child dig through the sand with his fingers to pick up the objects.

Step 6 – Play sports and enjoy outdoor activities

Try a game of football to aid both coordination and the gross motor movements of the legs. Teach your child to ride a bike or a tricycle when age-appropriate.

At CREC, we offer a postgraduate Physical Activity in the Early Years Module that takes a look at the young developing child through the lens of movement, physical activity and sport.

Designed to support practitioners to combine their creativity, critical reflection, knowledge and experience in order to improve outcomes for children, develop their own practice and grow as professionals, this module is suitable for anyone working with children from birth to 7 years. 

To find out more about the course, visit our MA Module page > Physical Activity in Early Childhood

Article from Global Post 

Why is physical activity important for child development?

Physical education lessons are a required syllabus in Singaporean schools for a good reason – physical activity couldn’t be more important to a child’s physical, mental and emotional development. Like it or not, there is no denying that physical activity presents so many benefits to your child that exercise should definitely be encouraged whenever possible.

Photo: Active Health

10 ways physical activity promotes child development

• Physical growth

Exercise, like food, is a fundamental part of a child’s physical growth. Exercise helps your child build stronger muscles and bones acting as a stimulus for the body to adapt to. Developing a good physical foundation from a young age includes healthy bone mass and density, which will reduce the risk of developing bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis later on in life.

• Better fitness

Physical strength is built through exercise and being strong has tons of benefits to a growing child, such as being able to walk longer distances without getting tired and having the strength to perform their daily tasks. Exercise also promotes flexibility and stability.

• Refinement of motor skills

For younger children, physical activity during playtime helps with the development of motor skills, which is responsible for helping them master the basic movements they need for everyday life. The development of a child’s motor skills means that basic feats such as feeding oneself, tying one’s shoelaces and even writing can be attained much faster.

• Better posture

Slouching is a common problem in many children and exercise helps to counter this negative trend by improving a child’s posture by increasing core and spine strength. Good posture goes a long way in life – it protects a child’s spine from deformation due to excessive slouching and also reduces the chances of experiencing body aches due to bad posture.

• Weight management

Nothing burns calories as successfully as physical activity, making exercise an essential activity when it comes to weight management. While most parents feel the urge to pamper their child by letting them eat as much as they want, it should be known that obesity during childhood comes with a high risk of remaining obese as an adult. According to the Health Promotion Board, this figure is estimated to be as high as 70%!

• Maintaining cardiovascular health

Chubby kids are seen as adorable by their parents, but all that extra fat comes with a health cost. Childhood obesity puts children at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as high cholesterol and metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes later on in their life or worse, at a younger age.

• Cognitive development

Exercise isn’t all about getting buff; it also helps with brain development! During exercise, nerve cells in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the brain are triggered to multiply and form new connections. This results in improved concentration and better memory, which are traits that will definitely serve a school-going child’s academic needs well!

• Better mental health

While exercise can seem like a dreadful chore to some children, the actual act of exercising becomes something of a cathartic experience once the child gets into the flow of exercise. Physical activity helps with stress and anxiety relief, and the rush of feel-good hormones it releases promotes better moods. Nothing warms the heart of a parent more than than the sight of a happy child!

• Improved self-esteem

Along with improving a child’s mental health and mood, exercise also boosts a child’s self-esteem. Being good at a certain sport is definitely a confidence raiser for children. The fact that exercise helps with weight control also helps to promote a healthy self-image in children. Finally, exercise is a great way for children to make friends and being part of a social group definitely contributes to a child’s self-esteem.

• Social skills development

Exercise not only provides children with an opportunity to make new friends, it also helps them develop and nurture their social skills. Team sports, for instance, help children to hone crucial communication skills such as learning how to read non-verbal cues, practising teamwork and adopting leadership roles.

All the developmental benefits of exercise have a significant impact on a child’s long-term health. The physical, mental and emotional benefits derived from exercise will prepare a child well for his or her teenage and adult years. If you are wondering when to start making exercise a regular activity in your child’s life, the answer would be: it’s never too soon! Whether your child is currently a toddler, kindergartner or primary school student, exercise deserves a spot in their life. Here are some of the basics to get you started:

Basic rules of exercise

• How much exercise?

In general, children above six years old should get a total of at least one hour of exercise a day. This can be broken down into shorter intervals to cater to shorter attention spans.

When it comes to organised or team sports, the general rule is that the number of hours a week should not exceed the child’s age.

• Types of exercises

It’s important to ensure your child engages in the three different types of exercise: aerobic, strength-training and weight-bearing. These exercises focus on different areas and engaging in all three will ensure that your child reaps the maximum benefits of exercise. Aerobic exercises focus on training stamina while strength-training and weight-bearing focus on building strong muscles and bones.

Photo: Active Health

The best exercises for children

Planning exercise activities for children doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Many children have a natural tendency to enjoy exercise, so getting them to break a sweat isn’t too difficult. Here are some of the best exercises you can introduce to a child (that you can join in too):

• Running

Type: Aerobic

Running makes a wonderful exercise because chances are you probably don’t really have to force your child to do it since most children love running! Help your child channel the joy of running into regular jogs so that the love for running sticks with them as they grow older.

• Jumping

Type: Weight-bearing, cardio

Bring any kid to a bouncy castle or trampoline and they will definitely have a whale of a time! The simple act of jumping makes an excellent type of exercise for children as it helps with muscle strengthening but can also serve as a source of heart-pumping cardio. Practising their landing also helps with muscular coordination and balance. Another great way to make a child jump more is to get them a skipping rope – kids will definitely love it!

• Planks

Type: Strength training

Planks may not be the most fun exercise, but they are definitely beneficial. Spice things up by turning it into a mini-competition between your child and yourself! Planks build a strong core, helping with posture and balance.

• Push-ups

Type: Strength training

Similar to sit-ups, push-ups may be a rather mundane exercise, but they do your child lots of good when it comes to building strength. For boys, training push-ups from a young age will help them better prepare themselves for National Service when the time comes.

Incorporating games to make exercise fun

Putting our kids through exercise drills and timed routines may seem like the easiest approach, but don’t forget to incorporate an element of fun. After all, it will be so much easier to get your children to commit to exercise plans when they actually enjoy it! This is why you should consider incorporating games into your kids’ exercises. You don’t have to get too technical on the games – simple ones like relay races will do.

One good game to try out is the classic “traffic light” game many of us knew and loved. In this one, each colour of the traffic light is tasked with an action command.

For example, green = running, orange = jumping, red = squatting. Upon a verbal command, the kids switch from action to action – it’s a simple game but can be loads of fun when done in a big group! So, when it comes to organising exercise, try to encourage big group activities and always aim to make exercise fun.

► WATCH: Parent-child FUNdamental movement exercises

Photo: Active Health

Keeping exercise safe

• Have proper warm-ups and cool-downs

The importance of warm-up and cool-down routines cannot be overstated. Getting the body warmed up and ready before exercise reduces the risk of injury significantly, as does cooling down. You can make boring warm-up and cool-down sessions more fun by playing some of your child’s favourite tunes!

• Wear the right attire

Always ensure your kids are in proper exercise attire from head to toe before starting on any exercise. The right kind of clothes will minimise discomfort due to sweating and heat, so invest in quality dri-fit clothing. Shoes are of utmost importance because the right shoes can prevent injury and even facilitate exercise, so don’t skimp when it comes to buying sports shoes!

• Stay hydrated

Bring along lots of water with your child whenever you bring him or her out for exercise, and also ensure they drink up an hour before exercise, so their body is well-hydrated. Injuries such as heatstroke can happen as a result of dehydration and can turn your child off from future exercise sessions.

• Have rest days

Lastly, rest days are crucial to prevent your child from overexerting his or her muscles and bones. Exercising on strained muscles increases the risk of injury and muscle damage, so always give your child rest days – even if they protest! Fun alternatives include taking a leisurely stroll by the beach or just nestling up with a fun stay-at-home story.

In a nutshell, physical activity is the gateway to optimising a child’s development in many ways. The benefits of physical activity will follow a child through their growing years all the way to adulthood, so start engaging your child in exercise as soon as you can! If you are unsure of how to structure workouts or plan games, don’t hesitate to get help from our Active Health Coaches at the Active Health Labs located island-wide. Children are naturally fun-loving and vivacious creatures – all you need to do is to flip the right switch and stand back for the fireworks!

► READ: More articles and tips to Rest Better

Why does a child need sports at all? We are so good.

Amateur sports are useful for everyone without exception. This fact has been repeatedly proven by physiologists, immunologists and psychologists. By teaching a child to perform various exercises every day from an early age, you lay the foundation, developing the habit of exercising regularly.

By instilling certain rules in your child from an early age, you influence his physical development, as well as his perception of social rules and norms, which will increase over time.

It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of sports activities for a child’s body. According to statistics, 80% of school-age children who are often sick do not go in for sports on their own and skip physical education classes. Yes, and chronic diseases in such children are much more common than in those kids who are accustomed to physical activity from an early age and know how to enjoy it.

– Baby develops muscles, joints and ligaments .

– The child moves, which means that he improves blood circulation and lymph circulation , which leads to the saturation of all organs with the necessary amount of oxygen and nutrients. The overall work of the heart and vascular system is normalized.

– Daily activities normalize the body’s metabolism and overall body weight . As a rule, children’s appetite and sleep normalize, their general well-being and mood improve.

– Physical exercise induces instant changes in DNA – improves the function of genes that regulate health . This was confirmed by Swedish researchers Karolinska Institute, University of Copenhagen.

– Normalizes the work of the nervous system , which is especially important for children. Sports promote sound and healthy sleep. In studies published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2016, it was proven that 40 minutes of daily exercise increased IQ by an average of almost 4 points; those students who participated in vigorous sports had a 20 percent improvement in grades. Another study published in 2016 also found an association between exercise and improved long-term memory retention. Here, they found that exercising four hours after learning something new helps you remember what you just learned in the long run.

– Increases immunity , the body is able to fight many diseases. Moderate physical activity, such as GPT training or easy running, increases the production of immune T-helper cells. And they, in turn, are the first line of defense against various viruses. There is even the concept of “J-curve”, which determines the relationship between physical activity and the state of immunity. According to this model, both the risk of getting a cold or the flu, and the likelihood that the illness will be quite severe, decrease with moderate-intensity exercise (Miles MP. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2009) .

Regular classes form the concept of “ mode ” in the child, and later on he or she learns to plan his or her day.

After all, it is an investment in a common future . Statistical studies have shown that adolescents who have been involved in sports since childhood are less likely to fall into bad company and are less dependent on negative influences.

Physical development of the child | Sports on BUSINESS Online

01/21/2021

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The foundations of health are laid at birth, but strengthened in the preschool period. Posture is formed, endurance and working capacity are trained, the hardening process takes place – all this allows you to resist diseases and fatigue. Many parents pay more attention to the intellectual development of the child, preferring classes aimed at logic, creativity, and speech skills. For some reason, the training of physical abilities goes by the wayside. And this is fundamentally wrong, because physical training directly affects the psychological state of the baby. Harmony in the development of the child is important, and the easiest way to achieve this is with the help of daily physical education or through active games. Read articles about the physical development of children from 1 to 7 years old on the website of the Academy of Curiosity https://academy-of-curiosity.ru/category/vidy-razvitiya-stati/fizicheskoe-razvitie/

Why do exercises for the physical development of a child

What do dynamic classes give:

• Willpower and perseverance in overcoming difficulties, purposefulness. Most motor activity games are built as tests or competitions, when you need to achieve a certain result, go through an obstacle course, reach the finish line.
• Independence. The obstacle must be overcome by yourself, without the help of parents.
• Strengthening the immune system, reducing the risk of morbidity.
• Mastery of all motor skills. The child will learn to jump, catch and throw the ball, climb over obstacles and crawl under them and other movements appropriate for his age.
• Improvement of gross and fine motor skills.
• Strengthening the cardiovascular, nervous and respiratory systems. With active movements, especially if they take place in the fresh air, the blood, and at the same time all internal organs, are enriched with oxygen, which has a beneficial effect on them.

In general, such exercises contribute to the formation of a child’s concept of a healthy lifestyle, instilling interest in physical activity.