Affects of Early Nutrition and Physical Activity on the Growing Body

 

Would you water a dull, leafless tree and expect it to turn into a healthy, leafy tree with fruit? Of course not; you have to take care of the water and sunlight from the very beginning, and you have to make sure that the right seed is planted. Similarly, for proper child development, you have to start early. Research shows that children who have ample physical activity and nutrition are at less risk of developing various ailments in adulthood. This post intends to find out the short-term and long-term effects of physical activity and nutrition in early childhood.

Short-term and Long-term Effects of Nutrition and Physical Activity

Some of the most important brain functions develop at an early stage of life. According to the past research studies, children who are exposed to good nutrition and healthy physical movement between the ages of 1-8 develop strong cognitive ability as compared to the other children.
The short-term and long-term effects of nutrition and physical activity are shown in the figure below:

As illustrated in the figure above, the short term benefits of early childhood nourishment and health maintenance contributes towards brain development, overall growth and muscle development and enhanced metabolic system that includes the production of proteins, lipids, and growth hormones.
In addition, the long-term effects of healthy activity and nutrition leads to better cognitive performance that ultimately contributes towards better academic performance and creativity. Moreover, the long-term effects of healthy physical activity and good diet can develop better immunity and work capacity. In the long run, children reduce the chances of developing heart diseases, obesity, high blood pressure and cancer.

How to ensure that your child gets what he needs?

Most parents make the mistake of sending their kids off to preschools and day care centers where children get the least amount of physical activity. Another common practice is to keep younger kids inside the house to avoid environmental allergies and injuries. To make sure that your kids get a healthy diet and ample exercise:

• Choose a day care or preschool institution that offers outdoor playground equipment or school playground equipment for children.
• Make sure that you prepare a homemade lunch with the essential vegetables and fruits according to your kid’s age.
• Inform the day care or preschool staff about how much hours of physical activity your child needs to get.
• Schedule your child’s every day structured and unstructured play activity.

Are you taking measures to ensure your child’s cognitive and physical development? Share your opinion with us in the comment section below and let us know what you think regarding the subject.

Playground for Toddlers: Is it Safe?

There isn’t a moment in a day that goes by without you worrying about your child. It is okay as a parent to worry about your child, but this does not mean that you have to overprotected of your child. outdoor playground equipment comes with a promise of adventure and a threat for injuries and as a responsible parent, you have to accept both if you want to see your child physically fit.

Most parents think of hi-tech gaming devices as a safe option to keep their children safe from the outdoor injuries. But they forget that where the indoors can keep the children away from injuries, it can also keep them from nurturing their physical stature and cognitive development that require substantial physical activity.

Today, playgrounds are safer than ever, thanks to the modern day commercial playground equipment that uses harmless material to reduce the chances of equipment injuries. However, no matter how safe the equipment is, there is always a chance of injury, especially in toddlers who are unable to interpret the dangerous situations. Therefore, it is important that toddlers are accompanied by their guardians while they challenge their physical and mental abilities.

Safety is our Priority

Safety Tips for Toddlers

Consider the following tips that can help toddlers stay protected during an outside play activity.

• Make sure that the toddlers have a separate commercial playground equipment from the preschoolers. Most incidents in the playground happen when a toddler becomes a victim of a preschooler’s roughhousing.
• Make sure that your toddler plays with a plastic play structure; wooden structure can usually cause splinters.
• Makes rue that your child is dressed in comfortable clothing items ad shoes to avoid tripping and other related incidents.
• Make sure to conduct a regular inspection of the playground or play equipment to make sure there is nothing that could pose a potential risk to your child.
• Avoid trampolines; toddlers are not strong enough to keep their balance.
• Make sure that your kids ride flexible and soft swings.

Unlike preschoolers, toddlers require a little supervision in the playground, but that does not mean that you should deprive them of unstructured play, which is also important overall child development.  So, get your kid away from his playstation and introduce him to the natural fun activities that will help him develop skills for the future. 

Do you have something to add to the above discussion? Use our comment section below to share your opinion with the other parents.

Overprotecting Kids: Is it the right Strategy?

Would you rather have  your child involved in a physically active play with outdoor playground equipment that offers both adventures and dangers of injury, or the video games that glue your child to a single couch.  Back in the day children would do anything they wanted and even come home with a swollen cheek or a bruised knee. Today, there are hardly any such circumstances as children have confined themselves in their little world of never-ending  digital gaming.

Is Over Protection Necessary?

Are we ruining our child’s health by overprotecting him? Yes and no. It is okay for parents to excessively worry about their children, especially when they are outside away from the scrutiny. However, it is not okay to keep your child from the physical activities just to make sure that he doesn’t come home with a bruised cheek.

Playground accidents are inevitable; there is no guarantee that a school playground equipment will keep your child safe and sound during the activity.  However, it is not a good excuse to incarcerate your children. As a parent, you have to understand that children need to learn the power of courage, self-confidence, and self-reliance and for that they need survival skills, which can only be learned from a generous physical activity.

Why Risks matter?

Research shows that reasonable risks  in everyday life are crucial for the overall physical and mental development of your child. Risks allow your child to develop strong survival skills that are impossible to garner from any other kind of activity.

School playground equipment today does not follow complex designs that would pose a threat to your child’s safety. In addition, most playgrounds do not offer children much to work with and mostly children indulge in active, physical play with their playmates. So, there is nothing to worry about as long as your children are in the nearby playground, or hanging around in the neighborhood.

Kids need to experiment with their life, just like you wanted to when you were a kid (come on, you know what I am talking about). So, put your fears aside and let your kid have a life that he deserves. Overprotecting your child will not only make your kid lose his courage, but will also create problems for him in the near future.

Got something to add to the above discussion?  Do not hesitate to leave a comment in the comment section.

Learning to Survive: How can Playgrounds Help Children do well in their Later Life

Is your child equipped with the power of self-confidence, self-reliance and self- esteem? If your child usually faces peer rejection in school, then there is a good chance that he’s lacking self-esteem and confidence that play a key role in academic achievement and social development. Lack of survival skills can cause serious peer rejection in school, which can eventually lead to decreased academic performance. 

Outdoor playground equipment is the most crucial element that provides the opportunities for  essential physical activity. Research shows that children who are physically active develop essential skill set that helps them strive in life.

Here are some of the benefits of playgrounds that can help your child develop skills that will help him lead a prosperous life.

Social/Interpersonal skills

Commercial playground equipment is designed to be utilized by a group of children. When children play in a group, they learn to negotiate and share with other playmates. Playgrounds build the basic foundation of social development that stays with your child for the rest of his life. The social skills learned at the playgrounds prepare your child for the future associations and networking that not only help him do well academically, but also build a solid career in the future.

Behavioral skills

Playgrounds provide more than just the fun-oriented activities; they help your child discipline himself and learn the behavioral traits that are crucial for overall personality development. When children socialize with other children they learn to respect ad deal with rejection. In addition, children learn to understand the various boundaries of social relations that they must never cross.

Most children who depict disruptive behavior are bad at social skills, which greatly impacts their self-esteem and self-confidence. Playgrounds provide a healthy environment that can help your child discover his personality and build a perception about the world and the people around him. According to a recent research survey, children who spend more than 28 hours a week in a playground are more social and mentally active than the others.

Improved Cognitive Development

It is a well-documented fact that physical activities promote the cognitive development a child. Various past researches have shown that after proper nutrition, physical activities are the most important element that can enhance the growth of brain cells that play an important role in the overall brain function development.

Tablets and video games limit your child’s imagination and restrict the brain from getting unique exposure. In order to develop enhanced cognitive function, the brain needs different experiences that can only be provided through substantial physical activity. So, set the game consoles aside and let your child ride free in the sun for the nourishment he needs.