Encouraging Physical Activity: A Critical Key to Children’s Overall Health

Despite the ever-growing popularity of games that can keep youth glued to electronics, it is important young people also find ways to move and exercise in order to be healthy and thrive. 

“We have entered a new generation where digital is king. While it has been amazing seeing sports like esports continue to grow — getting more youth involved — we can’t underemphasize the importance of getting outside, being active, and staying healthy,” said Kelsey Nelson, a sports journalist, George Washington University professor and vice president of the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ). 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports one in five American children are struggling with obesity. Further, while the CDC suggests that children ages 6 to 17 should engage in 60 minutes of physical activity daily, a study revealed that 24% of youth those ages are actually moving an hour a day.

Placing an emphasis on physical activity at a young age can build a fountain for children’s future. Not only does regular exercise help with physical health but also mental health.

“It’s been great to see leagues like the NFL invest in NFL Flag, helping engage more young people in the sport of flag football,” Nelson told The Informer. “I played in an NFL passing flag football league coming up through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. This is why I’m a big advocate of after-school programs and keeping young people actively engaged.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise can help with depression, anoxia, gain confidence, and cope with problems in a healthy way. 

Tony Cephas, a gym director at Little Gym Capitol Hill, told The Informer there are a number of ways to get young people and parents can be key in ensuring youth start physical activity at an early age.

“For parents, I would advise just moving around with your little ones— taking them to the playground, letting them play with other kids, and doing all kinds of fun things. You want kids to be challenged in safe environments– doing things like jumping or just balancing– and being in a place like The Little Gym is great for those things because we have a padded, safe environment,” Cephas said. 

The Southeast D.C.-based gym offers opportunities for the whole family to move. 

“The Little Gym offers non-competitive gymnastics classes as well as some member and non-member events on the weekends. During our gymnastics classes, we teach the fundamentals of gymnastics—those beginning steps, forward rolls, handstands, all those fun ways to move around,” Cephas explained. “We introduce our parent-child students to things like coordination, balance, and body control, as well as space awareness and brain development. We start our older kids all at our standard beginner-level classes, and as time goes on, we start to assess them, and we meet them where they are.” 

From football to gymnastics to taking a bike ride, Cephas said parents emphasizing the importance of physical activity at a young age is important for children’s development overall.

“But no matter what you do, it’s always best to embrace your little ones’ adventurous side, allow them to explore, and just let them have fun. Encourage them to have fun and do it as best as you can under your supervision, of course. But you want to just encourage movement, play some sports with them, engage with them, and just spend some quality time with them being physical.