We all know the obvious benefits of our children exercising. It keeps them fit, strengthens bones and reduces the risk of future health complications. But you don’t need to read a blog on the obvious, so I’m going to go over the other MAJOR benefits of why exercising keeps our children happy.
1. ENDORPHINS
Definition: A chemical naturally released in the brain to reduce pain, that in large amounts can make you feel relaxed or full of energy.
…more simply – when your child exercises, they feel great! We all know exercise is great for physical health, but it is also a proven fact that when we exercise endorphins are released in the brain, making you feel full of energy and positivity. Also, exercise is a great way to relax, distracting your child from thinking about anything else that may be on their mind.
2. TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
We don’t often connect sport with academia, but let’s break things down a little. When your child plays a sport, they gain various skills such as strategic thinking, leadership, commitment, teamwork, and maintaining high levels of concentration. As well as this, many sports require team scoring where children have to use metal arithmetic whilst playing. All of these skills can be transferred to the classroom to help them in daily school life, and in later life used within the workplace.
3. SPORTSMANSHIP
In the majority of sports children take part in, they are either working as part of a team or competing against one another. There will be times that they win and times that they lose, and when playing a sport, children learn that they can’t always win! This teaches them how to be gracious in defeat and modest in success, developing the relevant coping strategies for both of these situations.
4. CO-ORDINATION AND BALANCE
It is well known that children who participate in sport from a young age have a much better understanding of their bodies and how to control them. They have better posture and balance, with a huge benefit of sport being an increase in co-ordination skills. This helps in all aspects of life, as these effects last a lifetime!
Here at School of Play, we like to put a lot of focus on the importance of exercise, which brings us onto the sporting activities we provide as part of our service.
Whether it’s Tennis, Football, Yoga, or Gymnastics, we’ve got it covered!
We like to focus on one sport each term and allow the children at our club to take part in a coaching session on a weekly basis if they choose to.
Not only is it great for keeping them active, but it’s also an opportunity to introduce them to a new sport!
You never know, they could be the next Andy Murray!
For more information on all the activities we provide, please visit https://www.schoolofplay.org.uk/out-of-school-clubs/
