“Fitness and the Young Child”

 

By James M. Poole, MD, FAAP

 

The fitness craze is upon us; people are running along the streets, joining health clubs, and spending millions of dollars on nutrition and diet supplements.  It is well proven that there is a relationship between an inactive lifestyle and the development of coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and being overweight.  Magazine and television models promote the in shape look.  Unfortunately, with all this surrounding our everyday life, over 50% of American men and women are overweight, and many of them are obese.  Just as we are working at getting in shape and being fit, our society is running in the other direction.  Something is happening to our own behavior that allows us to be okay with being overweight.  The victims in all this could be our preschool children, as the promotion of eating habits, activities, and sedentary lifestyles are taught in childhood.

 

Preschool children are active by their very nature.  They tend to have an inherent drive for motor activity.  In looking at the behavior of young children, notice how they explore their environment, go to all corners of the room or playground, achieve physical closeness, and enjoy communicating with others.  These are all essential for proper cognitive, emotional, and physical development.  When we allow children to run, play, and explore in a safe environment they will naturally get all the large motor activity that they need.

 

Television and computers obviously decrease the amount of time children are up and playing, either indoors or outdoors, and increase the likelihood of eating calorie-rich snack foods.  There is a definite genetic link or predisposition to obesity.  The recently discovered obese gene makes it imperative that families having problems with weight look at their diet, activity level, and exercise level to control obesity.  Overweight children are more likely to experience depression, low self-esteem, and medical problems.  Child care teachers can encourage healthy eating habits at the center and at home.  Limit the amount of juice (two servings per day), fatty foods, and sugar given to the children and encourage children to drink water.  Water still remains a wonderful source of liquid.  Work with any child at risk for being overweight and help all children to develop healthy lifestyles.

 

Physical development is most important in the early years of exploring, experimentation, and activity.  Throwing balls, jumping, dancing, and jogging are all excellent exercises, as children learn to use their bodies and move through space in a coordinated fashion.  Children are naturally active, and we must encourage the inactive child.

 

Children tend to follow a set sequence of learning and acquiring motor skills.  The rate is not the same for all children, as children tend to develop and grow differently.  There is no evidence that physical training during the preschool years accelerates or enhances a child’s future sports performance.  However, the preschool years are very important for motor development.  The acts of running, throwing, catching, kicking, hopping, jumping, and climbing are all tasks learned through a child’s natural activity.  As they mature, learn by trial and error, perform tasks repeatedly, do not compete or compare themselves with their peers, and have supportive adults, children will naturally learn to accomplish and perform.

 

Parents, caregivers, and now some child care centers are pushing children into participating in organized sports and structured exercise sessions.  The Academy of Pediatrics has identified three important factors for a child’s readiness:

 

1) neurodevelopmental level (ability to have motor skills to accomplish the activity);

2) social development (ability to interact with the coaches and teammates); and,

3) cognitive level (ability to understand the instructions or the rules of the game).

 

All of this comes under the title of Sports Readiness, which is determined by the child’s excitement and desire to participate (not the parent’s).  

 

James M. Poole, MD, FAAP, is a member of the Academy of Pediatrics Early Childhood, Adoption, Dependent Care Committee and liaison to Healthy Childcare America.  He is a member of the North Carolina Sports Medicine Committee.  Dr. Poole is in private pediatric practice and is the owner of The Growing Child Physician Childcare Centers.

 

 

Child Care Information Exchange Magazine, January 2000