OBESITY is a big problem in the UK, as it's estimated to affect one in four adults and a fifth of ten to 11-year-olds. In addition, a staggering one-third of children aged 2 to 15 are classified as overweight or obese - so just how bad is the UK's obesity crisis? To a great extent, the rise in modern technology, the growth in fast food options and the restrictions that are placed on kids enjoying active play have reduced children’s appetite to take part in regular physical activity. Therefore, teaching kids the importance of leading healthy lifestyles can be so crucial to their development and something that they will take with them into their adult lives. After all it is at school where we are educated and understanding how vital being active is to our general well-being should be a key part of learning. It’s also essential to understand that not every child is going to be interested in a specific sport, which tends to be intrinsically linked to physical activity. But those children who do hold less interest in sport must be still be engaged, even more so in fact, and it is the school’s system that is best placed to teach them how to be active. Schools are simply not achieving their require 30 minutes a day but its not that difficult as most school children have a 30 minute lunchtime break! This is the perfect time to get all kids active but we have created an sedentary environment in many schools with no ball games for example. However it’s not just developing the body that daily activity can benefit, it’s proven that the benefits of physical activity do extend beyond health and into the classroom. Active children learn better, concentrate more and their academic performance increases as a result of daily physical activity. Research has shown that exercise affects the brain on multiple fronts. It not only increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain but it also aids the bodily release of hormones which participate in aiding and providing a nourishing environment for the growth of brain cells. In contrast, poor mental health amongst children has been consistently linked to a lack of physical activity down the years, a healthy body equals a healthy mind. Although despite its limitations, technology can sometimes work in our favour when it comes to monitoring a child/school’s levels of physical activity. Fit For Sport recently launched a revolutionary school support system known as the Healthy Active Schools System (HASS) whereby schools can use the resource to monitor their children’s activity levels. HASS will launch in September but you can register your school now at www.healthyactiveschools.co.uk or for more information on what it has to offer, email activeschools@fitforsport.co.uk.
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