Fitness For Kids

Content

• The current situation.
• Physical activity as the basis of health.
• The importance of physical activity for children.
• How to prepare your child for stress.
• Physical activity up to 5 years.
• Fitness for children 5–7 years old.
• Consequences of lack of physical activity.
• Fitness for children 7–12 years old.
• Fitness for children aged 13–17.
• Nutritional supplements for children.
• Results and conclusions.

Fitness for children is the basis of health and proper development. Many do not realize how important fitness, sports and physical activity play. Today we will find out what place fitness should take in a child’s life and how not to make a mistake with the choice of load.

Current situation

The child's body is a fragile and complex system. Many unique processes take place in it, which differ from the processes in the body of an adult.

For example, the synthesis of new tissues in children occurs ten times faster. The active work of hormones, enzymes, amino acids, cells, transporters forms a huge mechanism for creating a healthy body system.

Unfortunately, gadgets, a busy study schedule and changing interests reduce the level of physical activity of a modern child. If in 2010, according to the research of the Ministry of Health and the Department of Physical Education of the Russian Economic University of Moscow, 15% of girls and 23% of boys in our country were engaged in physical education in accordance with the modern recommendations of the WHO website, then in 2022 this figure dropped to 8% for girls and 10% in boys.

In addition, physical activity depends on age and life stage. For example, in schoolchildren it decreases by 3 times compared to preschool children, while the number of visual and postural disorders increases by 7 times, the number of mental health disorders increases by 5 times, and the number of children with diseases of the digestive system is growing every year by an average of 5 -6%. And that's just the official data!

Physical activity as the basis of health

Why is physical activity important? A bit of history.

Many centuries ago, man had two main occupations: gathering and hunting.

Judging by studies of the lower limbs, bones of the feet, legs and hip bones of our ancestors, the ancient hunter took an average of 35-40 thousand steps a day, some of which he ran. Hunting for an animal and the weight of the prey that had to be carried also required considerable energy costs.

A person engaged in gathering walked about the same daily, 30-35 thousand steps, and also climbed trees for fruits and also carried them.

Scientists have calculated that the daily physical activity of our distant ancestor was 12-13 times, or 1200-1400%, higher than the physical activity of a modern person.

Importance of physical activity for children

Children are much more active than adults. And this energy must be able to distribute.

The most important tasks of the child's body at the stage of growing up, for which physical activity is important:

• creation of a reliable muscular corset to support the musculoskeletal system, protect internal organs;
• development of the articular-ligamentous apparatus: the strength of the tendons that attach the muscles to the bones, the balance of elasticity and strength of the ligaments that regulate the course of the limbs in space and in the joint bag, the mobility, strength and stretch potential of the muscle fascia - connective tissue that provides protection for muscle fibers, the integrity of muscle groups, as well as their interaction;
• the formation of posture, which, among other things, includes the bends of all parts of the spine and the setting of the clavicle and shoulder girdle, gait, setting the feet, tilting the pelvis;
• the formation of the hormonal system - the balance and work of thyroid hormones, the functionality and development of the reproductive system, their healthy and full functioning in the future, the work of the endocrine and external secretion glands;
• development of neural connections, improvement of thought processes due to a good supply of oxygen to the brain tissue;
• development of immunity, improvement of cellular respiration and consumption of glucose by cells for tissue nutrition. Resilience to disease, injury and stress.

How to prepare your child for stress

Motivation is the first item on our list.

Children's fitness begins with motivation. Very often, the love of sports and physical activity is a family trait. If adults lead a passive lifestyle, spend a lot of time at a computer, TV and with a phone in their hands, it will be more difficult for a child to enter the world of sports.

Many athletes have similar childhood stories: “One day my parents took me to a football match / rhythmic gymnastics / athletics competition, and I realized that this is what I want to do!”

The second important point is diet.

Complete nutrition is also laid down in the family. The child should receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Feel free to contact a pediatric nutritionist to understand what diet is right for your baby. As a beautiful and strong house is built from quality materials, so the child's body must grow and develop with the help of quality food.

Any physical activity involves energy consumption, so children's fitness should be accompanied by a rational and balanced diet. It is important to form healthy habits and proper eating behavior in the child - in this case, you can connect physical activity.

The third point is the drinking regimen.

Water is involved in the formation of digestive juices, ensures normal intestinal motility, maintaining the health of the gastrointestinal tract. The rate of water consumption for children under 1 year old weighing 3-10 kg is 100-165 ml per 1 kg of weight, for children from 1 to 10 years old - 60-80 ml per 1 kg of weight, over 10 years old - 30-40 ml of water per 1 kg of weight. 1 kg weight.

At the same time, clean water should be at least 70% of the total volume, the remaining 30% can be obtained from drinks or liquid dishes. “Morning water” is especially important - after waking up and before breakfast.

The next important point is the daily routine.

It is important to work out the recovery processes of the body before the introduction of physical activity. End - no later than 22:00. To assess the quality of sleep, a team of pediatric nutritionists at MIES developed a special diary:

Compliance with sleep and wakefulness, the balance of active and passive rest, ensuring psycho-emotional and physical recovery are the main conditions for the full physical activity of children.

An important criterion along with the amount of sleep is its quality. Overly light, restless sleep, frequent awakenings, and heavy lifting are common phenomena that need to be corrected before sending a child to the sports section. Close the curtains tightly, do not use nightlights, ventilate the room (ideal temperature is 20-22 ºС), turn off gadgets 2 hours before bedtime, minimize noise at night. Set your child up for sleep - read a book to him, discuss the pleasant events of the day. All workouts, mental stress - no later than 18:00.

High-quality sports equipment is very important. Clothing should be not only beautiful, but also technological, comfortable, suitable for a specific load. For example, sandals are comfortable, but running and jumping in them is dangerous. To choose equipment, consult with a trainer.

Physical activity up to 5 years

To understand when a child can start playing sports and what loads are suitable for him, we divide the age scale into stages.

The hormonal and muscular systems begin to work actively under the influence of loads as soon as the kids start walking. At the same time, the neuromuscular connection is greatly enhanced, the vestibular apparatus begins to work more actively, the cerebellum gives a large number of impulses to the body. All these processes are aimed at ensuring the balance and function of the movement of the child. However, physical activity should be introduced no earlier than three years.

At this age in the muscle tissue there is an increase in the number of energy "factories" - mitochondria. They are responsible for producing the required amount of energy.

As soon as the child begins to walk, it is possible and necessary to give him a load, which should be aimed at developing motor skills, control of his own body and playing endurance.

Until the age of 5, the child develops the so-called post-fetal stabilization system. Before birth, the baby is in a liquid environment. It is in it that the best adaptation to loads occurs - the resistance in a liquid medium is greater than in a gas one. That is, in water, the resistance is much higher than in air, so in water the child receives an excellent load, to which he is maximally adapted. Active games and exercises in the pool are optimal for 3-4 hours a week.

It is important to develop in the child and all motor processes. Frequent walks in the fresh air, active games are just those types of exercise that require a lot of movement and energy.

In addition, it is necessary to work out dexterity at the proper level. Any action or maneuver of the body occurs due to the transmission of commands from the brain to the muscles. It is important that this signal is as fast as possible and the response to it is the same. The development of this signal transmission can be achieved through sports games, preferably team games, in order to instill social and sports skills in the child.

Fitness for children 5–7 years old

From preschool and early school age, the load should become more serious. At this time, it is important to connect light daily exercises. They can be divided into two types - this is a warm-up and general physical training (GPP):

• warm-up - simple functional exercises that can be done as a charge, while all the joints of the body should work. The main goal is to increase the mobility of the articular-ligamentous apparatus. This will allow in the future to avoid problems with the joints, to minimize the negative impact on the musculoskeletal system;
• the goal of OFP is to create a muscular motor stereotype. This is a motor skill, the development of which will avoid clumsiness, lack of agility and muscular dystrophy, significantly improve coordination and physical endurance. It is this part of children's fitness that is aimed at building a physical base.

Consequences of lack of physical activity

Children climb a lot on various stairs in the yards, on trees, swings and so on. It is important that the grasping muscles of the arms, forearms and hands are sufficiently developed in order to reduce the risk of various injuries during games.

At this time, the posture and the entire skeleton as a whole are actively formed. The developmental disorders of the child's spine include the following:

• scoliosis - curvature of the spine, can be congenital (in 5-6%), acquired (in 70%) and post-traumatic (in 25%);
• hyperkyphosis and hyperlordosis. The spine has two types of curves - kyphosis (parts of the spine are curved back - the thoracic and sacral regions) and lordosis (parts of the spine are curved forward - the cervical and lumbar regions). Hyperkyphosis, or round back syndrome, is a stoop that occurs in almost 65% of children. The most common type of curvature in children is lumbar hyperlordosis. The pelvis strongly protrudes back, and the stomach, even in the absence of excess weight, protrudes forward. It occurs in almost 72% of children.

Not only the spine at this age suffers from a lack of physical activity. With any violation of the position of the feet or their deformation, a shock-wave load is created on the spine and internal organs, which can lead to very unpleasant consequences. It is necessary to choose the right loads and shoes, especially when playing sports.

Maintaining joint mobility is also important. There are two main types of physical inactivity disorders:

• joint hypermobility, caused by excessive mobility. Most often, this causes an unnatural deflection in the knee area. This leads to a violation of motor functions and inflammation of the articular bags, the posture is disturbed;
• hypomobility, or decreased joint mobility. In this case, children cannot reach the floor while tilting, the joints are immobile, and there is a problem with the health of the ligamentous apparatus.

Fitness for children 7–12 years old

At this age, the hormonal background of the child is formed, full-fledged puberty begins. Since the hormonal background of any person is closely related to physical activity and weight, one cannot do without properly organized fitness.

Physical development during this period is also important for the further functioning of the musculoskeletal system and the formation of metabolism in the body. Therefore, physical education lessons in schools are given a certain number of hours.

Load control is mandatory, the number of workouts in the absence of contraindications is at least three per week.

What sports are suitable for maintaining the physical and mental health of the child (according to the recommendations of the World Sports Association and the Olympic Committee):

• work in the gym with your own weight;
• swimming;
• team game types (basketball, volleyball, hockey, football);
• gymnastics.

Features of fitness programs for children aged 7–12:

• it is important to ensure that the child performs exercises with his own weight without additional weights. Over time, you can increase the load with free weights, having previously discussed this with a children's fitness trainer;
• the ratio of loads with own weight and exercises on simulators - 70:30;
• exclusion of axial load on the spine. Performing exercises only in a sitting and lying position. It is important that there is support for the back - the back of a bench or rack;
• do not chase records and use heavy weights with which the child cannot perform more than 12 repetitions. The optimal number of repetitions in one approach is 15.

To develop coordination and balance, use different variations of exercises: squats, lunges, push-ups with different hand positions and various complexes for the abdominal muscles.

Fitness for children 13–17 years old

At this age, hormones come to the fore. Metabolic swings can turn a skinny boy into an overweight teenager, and vice versa.

Control of physical activity during this period has its own characteristics:

• from working with our own weight, we are smoothly moving on to working with sports equipment. We limit the axial and compressive load on the spine as much as possible, but we do not exclude the load in the lumbar region to create a muscular frame in this area;
• you can add a basic multi-joint load with small and medium weights, at least 12 repetitions. Basic exercises include deadlift, barbell squat, and bench and standing presses;
• for girls, the load on the muscles of the pelvis and lower limbs is important, it is recommended to develop the biceps femoris, the middle and large gluteal muscles, the muscles of abduction and adduction of the thigh and quadriceps. The goal is to ensure maximum blood flow to the pelvic organs and develop maximum mobility in this area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skeleton. This will ensure healthy sexual development and will greatly facilitate both the course of pregnancy and childbirth in the future;
• it is important for boys to develop the chest, shoulder girdle and diaphragm, use the deep back muscles, round and rhomboid muscles of the back and shoulder blades.

Nutritional supplements for children

In addition to adapting the child's body to physical activity, it is important to be able to withstand the adverse effects of the outside world.

Emissions from factories, gadgets, depletion of the ozone layer and increased radiation, deterioration in the quality of food, water, viruses with different strains, lack of physical activity, stress, various chemical compounds - all this affects the absorption of vitamins and minerals by the body. Food does not always contain enough substances necessary to maintain health.

These leads to a deficiency of nutrients in the body of the child.

• vitamin D. 85-90% of children have a lack of this vitamin. It is responsible for the state of immunity, the reduction of inflammatory processes, metabolism, the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, the functioning of the nervous system and muscles, the processes of blood coagulation, cell growth and energy consumption;
• magnesium. With its deficiency, the child may experience irritability, fatigue, apathy, anxiety, insomnia, memory impairment, loss of appetite, absent-mindedness and forgetfulness. It is manifested by muscle twitching, trembling in the body, muscle cramps, tics, tearfulness, and so on;
• vitamin C. One of the main antioxidants, is involved in the removal of toxins from the body, is responsible for immunity, helps with wound healing, the development of connective tissue and joints, and stress management;
• iodine. The shortage is caused, among other things, by low consumption of seafood. Regulates metabolism and thyroid function;
• omega 3. Ensures the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, strengthens the heart and blood vessels, giving them good elasticity. Helps strengthen the immune system by suppressing inflammation in the body. Important for the condition of bones and muscles, improves the quality of hair, nails and skin.

To determine the appropriate dosage of all vitamins, you should contact a pediatric nutritionist.

Results and conclusions

The physical development of children is a complex and multifaceted process. Given the age characteristics, it is possible to help the child develop fully with the help of balanced physical activity, high-quality nutrition, maintaining hormonal levels, observing sleep patterns, and psychological support.