Children are naturally active. Their boundless energy enables them to easily take up sports activities like basketball, football, baseball, and swimming. If you have kids who are not sports-minded, why not encourage them to get engaged in those activities. You’ll be doing them a huge favor.
A good start is at home. Try to play sports together, whether it is table tennis, badminton, lawn tennis, or basketball — anything to get them active. Not only will those sports activities provide excellent bonding opportunities with your kids, but your children will reap several other great benefits as well:
1. Kids are likely to do better at school- Research shows that physically active girls tend to have better grades, a lower rate of dropouts, and a higher chance of attending college compared to their nonathletic peers. And high school girls who engage in sports tend to do better in science classes compared to inactive girls.
2. Kids can discover new skills and abilities – Who knows if your son might be a future Roger Federer, Tiger Woods or Michael Phelps? Your kids will never know what they can do unless they start trying their hand at something. That’s true for sports and any other undertaking. Of course some kids are naturally more athletic and talented than others, but the point is unless they try, they will never find out what they can excel at.
3. Teenagers who exercise are less likely to get pregnant – Teens who engage in sports activities tend to indulge in sexual activities later compared to their more sedentary friends and if they do, they are less likely to get pregnant.
4. Kids become more emotionally balanced – Research reveals that kids who are active in sports activities are better able to handle adversity and disappointments than inactive peers. It is probably because they learn to accept defeats and frustration, which are normal in competitive sports, early on. Or maybe these events give them outlets for releasing tension, as fit children are also better able to handle stress.
5. Kids are less likely to smoke – A study shows that boys and girls between the ages of 12-16 who spend most of their leisure time doing sports activities are much less likely to start smoking compared to their less active schoolmates.
Encouraging your kids to take up sports will build up your relationship with them and give them a big head start in life, enabling them to grow up as healthier, more rounded individuals.
