{"id":875,"date":"2024-06-11T15:48:24","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T12:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/suomiliikkeelle.fi\/sinulle\/lapset-liikkeen-ilo-opitaan-jo-pienena\/"},"modified":"2024-08-29T15:01:07","modified_gmt":"2024-08-29T12:01:07","slug":"children","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/suomiliikkeelle.fi\/en\/for-you\/children\/","title":{"rendered":"Physical activities are fun for children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Activities and running around are a natural part of children’s life. <\/strong>Movement supports children’s growth and motor skills development. At the same time, it sets an example for habits in later years. Adults play an important role in igniting and maintaining children’s willingness to be physically active.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For children under 8 years of age, an adequate daily exercise dose <\/sup>is at least 3 hours. This includes light exercise, outdoor activities and fast-paced movement. Light exercise can be, for example, walking or playing in the garden. Sitting down periods of more than one hour are too long for children, and even shorter periods of sitting still should be paused in an active way that the child enjoys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The daily exercise recommendation for 8\u201317-year-olds is at least 1 hour of active and strenuous physical activity. At best, exercise strengthens children\u2019s self-esteem if the experiences are good and the feedback is encouraging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Move together with your child<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Family habits are learned early on, and an active lifestyle follows from childhood to adulthood. An active child is likely to be happy to exercise as an adult, too. The tradition of walking or cycling to school can also be passed on to the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The important people in a child\u2019s life are role models when it comes to exercising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A strong relationship with nature and physical activities with parents is statistically significantly associated with increased physical activity as an adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physical activity at different stages of development<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Exercise creates positive experiences, as long as it meets the child\u2019s conditions, needs and expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Active playtime<\/strong> for children aged 1\u20133.5<\/strong><\/strong>
Children learn basic movement skills such as walking, running and climbing. Once the basic skills have been mastered, movement can be added to stories and playtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Games with rules<\/strong> for children aged 4\u20136<\/strong>
Different movement combinations and performance levels increase. Dodgeball, tag, outdoor games, cycling and ice-skating train your child\u2019s motor skills while putting strain on their muscles and bones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyday exercise and endurance training for children aged 10\u201312<\/strong><\/strong>
Children need varied and independent daily activities. Children also develop their endurance, and parents can go for a longer ski or run together with their child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth spurts and changes in hormonal activity and muscle mass can cause changes in the movements of adolescent bodies, and their own body may feel clumsy. By moving, the body\u2019s movement patterns are reprogrammed \u2013 trust and connection to your own body is maintained and strengthened. If possible, you should regularly exercise together with your child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing things together is also important for young people aged 16\u201318, as the brain is still developing in relation to social experiences and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay attention to the health and well-being of children<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The physical fitness of young people has been declining for years, and the number of people in poor physical condition is increasing. Being overweight is also becoming increasingly common in children, and is more common in school-aged children than in pre-school-aged children. Especially during puberty, low activity can easily lead to gaining weight. Being overweight can increase the pressure on a person’s physical appearance, but most importantly, it leads to health concerns and problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take breaks from sitting in front of the screen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Playing video games and using social media makes school-aged children passive and causes them neck and shoulder pain.\u00a0An extra hour of screen time per day has been shown to quadruple the risk of pain. Encourage children to move from the computer or phone to other activities or to take sufficient breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wide-ranging health benefits of physical activity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sufficient exercise affects the health of children and adolescents in many ways:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n