3 activities your kids must do to prevent childhood obesity

If you ever wondered why most athletes have the fittest of bodies, the secret is out in the open. Outdoor games could be your weapon against most diseases including childhood obesity. Yes, they can help your children!

Aishwarya Iyer | Updated: August 10, 2018 4:29 pm

A recent study conducted by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) in India has revealed that about 30 per cent of urban children in eight private schools of Central and West Delhi were obese. Another research by Dr Philip Maffetone and nutritionist Mihira Khopkar studied the problem of increased sugar consumption and obesity early this year. Their study was published in the Global Epidemic Obesity Journal. The study claimed that 80 percent of adults and 41 percent of children are actually ‘over-fat.

Why?

Our children are now increasingly confined to indoor activities such as video games and computers. According to a recent report from the National Association of Sport and Physical Activity, many infants and toddlers are confined too much in cradles, strollers, and infant seats that could cause this obesity. One feature that we must talk about this generation of kids, is that they rarely play outdoor games. As parents, especially as working ones, we may barely have the time to see what activities they are into- however, that isn’t an excuse. Here are 3 activities that you must encourage your kids to get involved in:

Football:

Schools, quite often encourage kids to play football. There is a good reason for this. Soccer or football is a total body workout and can be a lot of fun. According to a report by the Harvard School of Public Health, football is a great way to shed those extra kilos. It aids in weight management because the sport involves running, drills, sprinting and constantly being in motion.
Taekwondo

Taekwondo is not only a great way to amp up your physical strength but also aids in weight loss. We are quite serious! In a study named, ‘Does Taekwondo training improve physical fitness?’ that was published in the journal- ‘Physical Therapy in Sport‘ it was established that taekwondo helps in fat-loss. This is so because it is a mix of jumping, knee-kicks and constant physical movement that also helps in improving your metabolism.
Crawling

The next time your kid comes crying to you in a hall full of people to be picked up, please DON’T. Actions or activities that come naturally to us like that of crawling or walking are great for the body. Parents often make the mistake of never letting their toddlers crawl. Crawling can be helpful for the overall movement of your kid, which in turn can help them to stay in shape. Crawling is a great form of exercise as it engages your calves, core region, shoulder girdle, hands, elbows, knees, deep abdominal muscles and muscles in your hips and feet.

Reference:

1: Fong SS, Ng GY. Does Taekwondo training improve physical fitness? Phys Ther
Sport. 2011 May;12(2):100-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2010.07.001. Review. PubMed
PMID: 21496773.

Image Source: Shutterstock

Published: August 10, 2018 4:28 pm | Updated:August 10, 2018 4:29 pm

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