The Dangers of Playing Too Safe

What was the most dangerous thing you ever did as a child? Were you ever upside down on your hands and feeling the blood rush to your head, or feeling your weight shift from one hand to the other as your legs flew through the air in an upside-down Mexican wave? Many parents don’t think that handstands and cartwheels are intrinsically dangerous, but one Queensland school recently declared that they were forbidden at the school without proper supervision.

To many, denying children the delight of an impromptu cartwheel may be sending a dangerous message to a generation already at risk. Physical activity levels in Australian school-aged kids are already so low that several experts predict that today’s youth are the first generation that will have a lower life expectancy than their parents.

Physical activity is an important part of health, improving life quality and helping to prevent a long list of lifestyle-related illnesses. Encouraging kids and teens to adopt healthy habits plays a vital part in determining the lifestyle choices they’ll make in the future.

When it comes to physical activity, the Heart Foundation’s guidelines are straightforward: children aged 2-4 years old should accumulate 180 minutes of exercise a day, while school-aged children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of high-intensity exercise per day.

A recent, detailed report into the activity levels of Australian children and youths found that most Australian kids aren’t meeting the Heart Foundation guidelines. Backed by several leading Australian universities and research organisations, the 2014 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Young People is a worrying look at the health prospects for our children. While 72% of parents reported that their 2-4 year olds are meeting the guidelines, less than 20% of Australian children and youths aged 5-17 are active enough to meet the minimum guidelines set out by the Heart Foundation.

These statistics raise a few questions, notably why does the level of physical activity drop so drastically once kids enter formal education? However, asking questions won’t give immediate solutions. Clearly, relying on schools to encourage kids to be physically active isn’t the solution.

So, if your school-aged child is part of the 80% of kids who are not getting enough exercise, how can you encourage them to adopt a more active lifestyle.

5 ways to get kids active

• Get them curious – Provide opportunities for them to get active. Put up a totem tennis pole in the backyard, or organise a family picnic next to a playground or basketball court. Get them curious enough about exercise, and they will get active.
• Let them choose – Find a sport that your child is interested in, and encourage them to join a local team. Organised sport offers many physical and social benefits to growing kids, and involving yourself in the club is a great way to show how sport is a community activity.
• Lead by example – The World Health Organisation recommends that adults engage regular, moderate-intensity activity at least 30 minutes per day. Teach kids that exercise is something that you can enjoy throughout your life.
• Use active transport whenever feasible – Walking or riding to school gives kids independence, and is a convenient, purposeful way to include exercise in their lives. If you’re unsure about their safety, walk with them in the younger years. As they get older, use family bike rides as opportunities to teach them how to ride safely.
• Give them chores – Using chores as activity boosters is popular among parents, but chores also teach kids valuable life skills. Include active jobs like gardening or walking the dog in their weekly jobs list.

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