Readers of the health section of the May issue of top UK children’s magazine, BRILLIANT BRAINZ, (#44 — now available to order as a back issue from the SHOP link above) have been discovering the 5 surprising benefits of daily exercise for kids – and YOU can too!
How many minutes are there in one day? The answer is 1,440 minutes. And how many of those should kids dedicate to exercising?
According to government guidelines from the UK Chief Medical Officer, the answer for toddlers and pre-schoolers is 180 MINUTES (activity is so very important for their physical and neural development).
For children of ages 6 to 18, on the other hand, the minimum target is 60 MINUTES. Remember, that’s the bare minimum — many kids need lots more than that to truly thrive and feel their best. If you have a hyperactive kinesthetic kid, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
An hour of exercise might seem like a lot in busy scheduled young lives, but what if we told you that you can split that into two 30-minute segments and still get some utterly amazing benefits for your children?
So, what are these 5 surprising exercise benefits?
1- YOUR KID WILL SMILE FROM EAR TO EAR!
Exercise causes your child’s body to produce endorphins, which trigger feelings of happiness and joy. So, if they’re feeling a bit glum or had a hard day at school, getting active should help them start to feel better.
- Show your kids: The Power Of Smiling
2 – YOUR CHILD WILL FEEL INVINCIBLE!
Exercise is a great way of reminding yourself how amazing you are because it boosts self-esteem. By exercising, you are creating a better version of yourself and usually having great fun doing it. Kids love to move and express themselves physically!
- Show your kid: The Superhero Power Pose
3 – YOUR KID’S BRAIN FUNCTION WILL SKYROCKET!
Scientists don’t know exactly why exercise changes the structure and function of the brain, but so far, they’ve found that exercise improves blood flow to the brain by feeding the growth of new blood vessels and even new brain cells, thanks to a clever protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor).
- Show your children: Brainstorming Creative Thinking
4 – HALLELUJAH! YOUR KID WILL FALL ASLEEP QUICKER!
If your child tends to toss and turn at night, then exercise can make them more sleepy, by helping to increase body temperature. This spike is then followed by a drop in temperature, giving them that tired feeling. High quality sleep of sufficient duration is such an important component of great physical, emotional, and mental health.
- Show your kid: Positive Habit Forming
5 – YOUR CHILD WILL GET SICK LESS
Studies show that regular exercise may cut down the number of colds children get because it boosts higher the number of antibodies and white blood cells, which can help fight infection. A brief rise in body temperature during and right after exercise can also prevent bacteria from growing and help the body fight infection better.
Well, those surprising benefits of exercise are all very cool, but they only really just touch the surface of the vast array of benefits your kids will derive from exercising and BEING ACTIVE on a regular basis throughout the day.
- Show your child: Relaxing Visualisation – The Lake and the Magnet
3 FUN WAYS YOUR KID CAN FULFILL THEIR DAILY EXERCISE NEEDS THIS SUMMER
With summer coming up, here are 3 fun starter ideas for helping your kids get their bare minimum activity in.
Remember it all counts, so why not set a timer for 30 minutes for you and your child and…
SWING from the monkey bars and create an assault course around the park.
PLAY Frisbee!
DANCE! Eight songs = 30 minutes, so choose your favourite tunes, and go crazy!
…Time flies when you’re having fun!!
Speaking of brain-boosting fun for kids, have you subscribed to our educational children’s magazine, yet? Packed full of fun activities and learning, and delivered to their doorstep once a month — it’s the perfect “edutainment” gift for your young person!
