- Getting more exercise for you and your kids
Did you know that four out of five children in the Republic of Ireland are still not getting enough exercise, posing serious risks to their health and well-being? As we enter the summer months and the evenings stretch out a little longer, now is a great time for all of us to start thinking about getting more exercise and trying to ensure that our kids are involved.
Physical activity helps children maintain a healthy weight, and with childhood obesity in Ireland, as well as obesity among adults, reaching worrying levels, this should give us all pause for thought. But the reasons to get active with your kids don’t end there. Physical activity is part of the way children discover the world, and themselves. It helps build strong muscles and healthy bones, as well as improve self-confidence.
Best of all, it's great fun.
All children should be physically active for at least one hour a day. You can help by encouraging your child to find activities they enjoy, and building physical activity into family life. Most children love running around a park or playing in a playground.
There are plenty of benefits of getting active as a family. Time stretched parents get an opportunity to get moving while the children burn off all that excess energy. Research shows that children whose parents are active are more than 5 times as likely to be active than those whose parents are not.
Some of the benefits include:
• Reinforcing of family bonds
• Establishes a lifetime of habit of being active
• Provides extra motivation and support
• Maintains healthy body weights
• Healthy way to reduces stress
• Improves quality of life
• Increases energy levels
• Helps you sleep better – and what parent doesn’t want that!
• Builds family traditions
- Children who remain active through education achieve higher grades in school
- It's fun to do things together!
Super Troopers with Laya Healthcare, have created the first ever health homework programme in Ireland. It encourages children and their families to become more active and learn about healthy lifestyles. This free programme has been designed by a team of experts in psychology, physical activity and nutrition to help get you and your kids moving more. Click here to see how this programme can help families and teachers make exercise an everyday part of your lives.