KIDS SPORTS ACTIVITIES

In this era of high technology kids sports activities take on a whole new meaning.

Far too often fitness falls by the wayside and is replaced by computer games, I-Pods, and cell phones.

It’s vitally important to find a way to instill some regular fitness into a child’s life. Sports can play a huge positive role in the development of children that often stays with them into adulthood.

KIDS:YESTERDAY AND TODAY

It’s often hard to believe just how much the world has changed in the last half-century. When I think back to when I was a twelve-year-old kid, I can’t ever remember spending much of my free time at home.

There was no computer in my bedroom to keep me occupied. There was no Twitter, Facebook, or video games to keep me glued to the screen.

I never had a cell-phone. Nobody did. You were lucky if you had a phone in your house at all. If you did it was the kind that was screwed into the wall.

I was outside all the time. The Summer and Fall months were filled with endless hours of softball, soccer and basketball.

Sure there were a few Dairy Queens around, but you did not find fast food outlets on every corner. It was an occasional treat and not a way of life like it is for some kids today.

It seemed like in those school days there were always a couple of kids who were over-weight. Now obesity is a serious issue through-out North America and according to health officials one in five pre-teens or teens suffer from obesity.

High tech should be balanced with fitness

That means that instead of a couple of kids, twenty percent of the kids in my school would have been overweight. To me that’s astounding and a sure sign of the age we live in.

It’s time for kids sports activities to be front and center again and it’s time to put an end to pre-teens dealing with Type-Two Diabetes simply because of living a lifestyle devoid of proper diet and regular physical activity.

WHAT KIDS FITNESS ACTIVITIES ARE BEST?

Kids need to be in motion. Their physical development is stifled by inactivity.

When kids are very young, it’s up to the parents to expose them to a variety of kids sports activities.

Let them play baseball. Let them try hockey, football, basketball and tennis. Give them a chance to learn new skills. Get a soccer ball and take the kids out to a field and kick it around.

Teach them how to swim, play tennis, ski, snowboard, play grass hockey,or even golf. There is virtually no end to opportunities for kids when it comes to staying fit.

Often it is just a matter of exposing a child to the perfect sport for them that just happens to spark their interest, but they need guidance in order to get that exposure.

Perhaps the best choice of all it triathlon, the fastest growing mainstream sport in the world. With the three disciplines of swimming, biking, and running to work on, kids are a lot less likely to get bored.

Many young kids love triathlon once they become involved in a sport and it’s a great way to stay fit and healthy.

Many kids love triathloN.

Let them try all types of kids sports activities. You just never know when they might take a liking to a particular sport.

Once that happens to them, you open up a whole new world to them and give them options and another way to spend their spare time.

IT STARTS AT HOME

Early on in life a concerted effort has to be made by parents to expose their kids to fitness.

The problem is that today’s parents are just as wrapped up in high tech as their kids are.

It might seem easier to just let their kids drift into the same high tech sedentary lifestyle that never challenges them physically.

As convenient as it might seem to stand on the sidelines, taking an active interest in the physical fitness welfare of a child might well be the best thing a parent can do for them.

Of course there are plenty of parents who have figured that out, but it’s the kids who are left to their own devices who are the main concern.

It is the kids who seem to have lost their way who need to be exposed to kids sports activities more than anyone.

A family of triathletes

If they become immersed in their own high tech world and grow up having no concept of sound diet or the importance of fitness they stand a good chance of suffering from obesity and other health issues and in some cases even develop social problems.

Staying fit and eating right are essential components of a child’s development and ultimately will be instrumental in helping them become well-rounded individuals on every level.

A sport like triathlon is something the whole family could become involved in and it’s a great way to do things together as a family.

Kids as young as six can be involved in the “Kids of Steel” program. There are many triathlon families who all take part in the sport which means they can train together, eat healthy meals together and cheer each other on when race day comes around.

It’s a great way to create a healthy balance in kids when it comes to juggling the high tech world with health and fitness.