[Lifestyle] Should you sign your kids up for a gym or a sport? The benefits can be the same

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Beyond physical improvement, regular exercise provides mental and emotional well-being, teaches perseverance and develops the child's ability to set and achieve goals. Of course, the intensity must always be adapted to the child's age..

 

 

Regular exercise increases the production of so-called endorphins, neurotransmitters in the brain that provide well-being and happiness, and which are essential for the balance of mental health. In the case of children, sport is of special interest and relevance because, from a very early age, they need to move, run and channel their great energy. So the practice of exercise brings about several improvements at a multifactorial level. “Training in any discipline, whether a specific sport or in the gym, helps a child to develop harmoniously. At the same time, it strengthens immunity and the nervous system, and its impact on health is very beneficial in general,” says Amelia Pérez Visani, a psychologist specializing in child therapy at the Ariadna Psychopedagogical Center. “Regular exercise teaches a child perseverance, discipline, it develops not only strength, but also strength of character and will, as well as the ability to set goals and achieve them,” she adds. However, it is one thing for children to jump, run or play sports sporadically and another for them to start going to a gym and doing strength and conditioning exercises.

 

Physical work at an early age has many benefits, both physical and emotional. “On the level of speech therapy alone, for example, proprioception and control of one’s own body has many benefits and improves understanding and communication skills, which is noticeable at older ages,” says Ana Isabel Martínez López, psychologist, speech therapist and director of the multidisciplinary children’s space at the Vélez Rubio Psychology Center. Here, one of the activities that is given priority is gymnastics. “When planning a sports routine for children, it is suggested to follow a hierarchical model that begins by providing cardiorespiratory exercises of a relative intensity appropriate for their age,” explains this expert. And she adds: “At our center, from a physical point of view, children improve strength, elasticity, balance, agility and coordination. Therefore, fatigue decreases, cardiovascular health improves, the immune system improves and sleep quality improves.”

 

https://elpais.com/mamas-papas/expertos/2024-08-29/apuntar-a-los-ninos-a-un-gimnasio-o-a-un-deporte-los-beneficios-pueden-ser-los-mismos.html