What is the best sport for a child?
What is the best sport for a child?
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently conducted a study in which researchers investigated the relationship between children’s physical activity and their academic performance. The study was conducted to validate the thesis that physical education classes that occur daily in the child’s schedule have a positive effect on his ability to acquire knowledge more efficiently. Has the research confirmed this thesis?
A total of 214 school-age students participated in the study. Data on children’s physical activity level in physical education classes and outside the classroom were collected and compared with scores in subjects such as: mathematics, English and nature.
The results turned out to be surprising. Moderate daily physical activity in the form of 30-min PE classes 5 days a week was not associated with better outcomes in school . On the other hand, intense physical exercise after school had a significant impact on intellectual abilities. You also see previous recommendations on regular, high intensity physical activity 3 times a week for 20 minutes is sufficient. The spontaneous physical activity that most children undergo is sufficient to reduce boredom and improve focus. Sports played by children with a passion for leisure, such as football, basketball or cycling, have a better effect on their intellectual abilities because children are more interactive and put more effort into them.
The conclusion from the study is clear. It is useful for school physical education to train team sports that children love, in which young people put their whole heart into it, which means that the intensity of exercise is high. Sports should be fun, it is fun and not an unpleasant necessity. Intense physical exertion, for example during a basketball game Moreover, it will positively affect the motor skills of the child, teach cooperation, which is very important in adult life, and reduce behavioral problems. However, if your child does not have a competitive spirit and does not like team games, encourage him to participate in other activities such as cycling, snowboarding, swimming or jogging. It is important to find a sport that you love and not do it with force. Jumping or throwing a medicine ball has become a thing of the past. A good physical education teacher should choose the system individually in accordance with the preferences of the child.
