One of the most important roles of a parent is learning how to help their kid grow and nurture positive life habits. In the era of smartphones, virtual reality and social networks, it’s incredibly hard, yet vital that you teach your child about the full significance of physical exercise. With this in mind, here are five reasons why children should exercise, as well as a few suggestions on how to make this experience much more rewarding for them.

Lower chance of obesity

While a lot of parents are primarily concerned with the bullying that comes with obesity, this should never be their greatest concern. Childhood obesity causes a wide array of dangerous symptoms like high blood pressure and cholesterol, breathing problems, joint problems and, most importantly, high risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, being active about 60 minutes a day (not necessarily in a single run) can drastically lower the chance of your child ever developing a bodyweight problem.

Better balance and coordination

Another notable advantage of exercising in childhood lies in the idea that children who are active usually develop a better sense of balance and coordination. Needless to say, this is important for any physical activity they decide to engage and can even be great for a lot of future professions they decide to pursue. Most scientists agree that this happens due to the fact that aerobic activity increases the size of essential brain structures and even impacts positively the number of neural connections.

Great long-term habit

As a parent, you need to keep in mind that your job doesn’t end when they graduate, find a job and leave your household. In fact, it is never done. This is why you need to start nurturing positive habits that will be with them for the rest of their lives. An active child is likely to grow into an active adult, especially if they decide to follow your own example. So start building their love for sports at a very young age. You can, for example, get a quality child bike seat and show your kid the beauty of cycling. You can be sure that they will be asking for their own bike in no time.

A good night’s sleep

One of the best ways for your child to develop good sleeping habits is for them to get tired from their daily activities. Not only will this help their overall mental development but also set a fixed bedtime. This simple routine of always getting up and going to bed at the same time will help their organizational efforts, which might help them become a more responsible people. Like all of the above-listed, regular exercise creates habits and traits that will benefit them in years and decades to come, not just in their childhood.

Better grades

Finally, for those who need one more reason why exercising is important for kids, a study from 2014 has shown that kids who regularly exercise tend to score better than their more sedentary peers. Due to the fact that their cardiorespiratory system is much better developed, their brain is receiving more oxygen, which in turn leads to better a focus on the task at hands. Since children usually enjoy what they are good at, indirectly, regular exercise can even lead to an increased interest in their academic development.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, you don’t even have to persuade your kids to exercise when you can simply take them to the playground or buy them a jumping rope as a gift. The thing about exercising (especially in the form of a role-play with friends) is that it is incredibly fun, which will give your kid a bit of intrinsic motivation, as well.