Benefits of playing sports for kids

 

 

 

 

How Sports Help Kids

There are lots of great reasons to get your kids involved in sports, and all kids can benefit from participation in athletics. The effects of childhood participation in sports go far beyond the physical, and can impact a child mentally, emotionally and socially

Physical Benefits

The most obvious benefit of playing a team sport is physical. With the prevalence of sedentary indoor activities like video games, computers and television, participation in organized athletic activities is sometimes the only physical activity children have. This makes participation in organized sports even more crucial. Some of the physical benefits of kids playing sports include:

Better Coordination and Balance
Kids who participate in sports learn early to have better control of their bodies. This positively affects important motor functions like coordination, fine and gross motor skills, and balance. Kids who develop these skills also develop the neural pathways to support them, and the positive effects can last a lifetime.

Increased Strength and Stamina
Participation in sports helps to strengthen muscles which leads to an overall increase in strength and stamina. Additionally, sports typically involve different types of movement including both sudden moves and slow, steady movement. According to experts at Charles Hurt University, athletes often do specific exercise to develop fast twitch and slow twitch muscles which encourage the development of the two types of muscle tissues. Sports can help kids to develop and strengthen both types of muscles.

Positive Changes in Body Composition
Exercise is an essential part of maintaining a healthy body composition. KidsHealth points out that children who regularly participate in sports tend to be leaner than those who are more sedentary. A healthy body composition can also help kids ward off diseases like Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.


Positive Effects on Lung and Heart Function
The more active you are, the healthier your heart and lungs tend to be. Early participation in sports can set kids on a lifetime path of habits that contribute to cardiorespiratory fitness and health.

Written by :Aidawati Binti Dahalan