Getting kids to practice sport is both important and something to not rush. In this post we discuss things to consider when introducing younger generations to physical exercise.
We’ve had a long and dry summer. Time for fall and winter seasons. Today in Seattle it is soaking wet. It is raining like crazy and I am not sure the photo in this post does justice to the amount of water that is falling.
I tend to think that the earliest time a kid can start physical exercise is the best. It’s gotta be done in a way that the child enjoys it. And it’s gotta be a gradual process. Young bodies are growing, and as they do, joints can hurt. The heart still needs to grow in size, so hardening it excessively with exercises that are too intense is a bad idea.
Soccer is demanding for kids who need to play several times a week. Parents need to drive them around. It’s a big family commitment. But if they like playing they are happily going. They are not complaining when it rains. They are having fun, and that makes it worth it. We practice many activities and try to introduce our kids to all of them. These include swimming, cycling (road or mountain bike), running. They also do some of these at school, as part of physical education, PE. Trying many activities allows them to cross train, to build a balanced and complete set of muscles, and to learn what they like the most.
If there was a perfect sport for kids, it would be one that gives them just the right amount of physical exercise and training, and does not get them injured. Perfection doesn’t exist, so the best we can do is get as close as possible to that ideal.
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