Regular physical activity comes with innumerable benefits. If exercise were a drug, then it would be the most valuable drug in the world. It keeps you looking great and feeling great, and it reduces your risk of suffering from a range of diseases.
Sports with the family
If you’ve started a family, then you’ll want to inculcate the habit of regular exercise into your children. This way, you’ll set them up for a healthy and fulfilling life. Trying a range of sports will allow you to find a form of exercise that matches with their temperament. Plus, it’ll give you a chance to bond with your children. Try a range of different sports, and see which ones are well-received. Don’t be tempted to specialise too early. Even elite athletes don’t settle on any particular sport until their teenage years.
Watching sport
While actually participating in sport is extremely valuable, you can encourage a passion for a particular activity by watching the best examples available. This extends to sports, as much as it does any other skill. For many families, a devotion to a particular football club might be akin to a religion. You can encourage participation by buying matching replica home shirts for everyone!
Mental and physical health benefits
Participation in sport confers all of the health benefits we’ve already touched upon. But it also builds mental skill and resilience. It will get your children accustomed to the feeling of shared disappointment and triumph, and allow them to deal with it all along the way. It will promote teamwork and group bonding, and provide everyone with the chance to socialise.
Children who participate in sport also tend to do well academically, because physical fitness tends to promote a healthy brain, too.
Screen time
Most children in the UK spend too much time looking at screens. If you can find an alternative outlet for their attention, then you’ll help them to build a healthier relationship with technology. When you’re playing a sport, you’ll naturally be prevented from looking at a screen, and you’ll learn to associate time spent outdoors with fun and exhilaration.
Young children are not suited to long periods of inactivity – which may actually hamper their development. Taking a break from sedentary habits will provide them with the platform they need to build a physical, active lifestyle. This will support their flourishing throughout their lives.
