Encouraging children to engage in regular physical activity has a host of benefits which are often overlooked, writes GILES WARRINGTON.
WHEN IT comes to a healthy lifestyle, many of the foundations are laid down in early life. The role and impact of those who influence us during our formative years, such as parents and teachers, cannot be understated.
Physical inactivity in Ireland has become an area of growing concern, with almost half of Irish adults failing to meet minimum physical activity levels and more than one-fifth failing to engage in any leisure activity. This trend toward a sedentary lifestyle begins in early life, making the promotion of physical activity among children a central strand of any health strategy.
The importance of physical activity to the health and wellbeing of the nation has been identified in many policy statements. Specifically, the National Taskforce on Obesity in 2005 recognised the importance of physical activity in promoting a more positive approach to health.
In addition to being physically active it is important for children to develop key elements of health-related physical fitness such as aerobic endurance, muscular strength and endurance, as well as learn motor skills.
Such fundamental skills are often referred to as the ABCs - agility, balance and co-ordination - and include activities such as running, jumping, throwing and catching. Evidence suggests that for any aspiring young athletes to achieve their full genetic potential they should develop their fundamental motor skills by about age 12.
Physical education at school provides an ideal medium for promoting physical activity and developing physical fitness in children. But Ireland sadly languishes at the bottom of the European league tables for PE provision at primary and secondary level, with many schools not having a specialist PE teacher or appropriate facilities.
Effectively, this is a lost opportunity. In the Irish education system a premium is placed on academia - numeracy and literacy are highly valued. In contrast, emphasis placed the development of "physical literacy", defined as the ability to perform fundamental movement skills, falls short of what is required.
It should be a matter of right that every Irish child is afforded the opportunity to develop their physical literacy in line with their choices and capabilities.
Unfortunately, many are not given the opportunity. As a consequence there are an increasing number of children who become inactive, overweight, de-conditioned and unco-ordinated as adolescents and adults.
Exercise has many potential benefits for young children and physical activity opportunities should be accessible to all, irrespective of age or ability. Children involved in recreational sport and exercise should be encouraged to engage in a wide variety of activities, to develop a broad range of skills with a particular emphasis during the early years on play, participation and, above all, fun.
General guidelines recommend that children should strive for at least 60 minutes of physical activity which would include planned moderate intensity activity as well as free and unstructured play. The nature of exercise participation may vary widely depending on a number of factors including phase of growth and development, personal circumstances and needs.
Typical activities would include free and deliberate play through a variety of sports and games, walking and cycling for transportation and leisure, engaging in PE at school and participation in sports clubs.
From a performance perspective, there is a greater emphasis on structured and deliberate practice. There are critical phases during a child's growth and development when the physical benefits associated with training can be targeted to help maximise performance potential.
These are broadly termed the "windows of trainability" and are associated with the onset of puberty, maturation and the growth spurt commonly referred to as the onset of peak height velocity (PHV).
The timing and rate of maturation may vary significantly between individuals, but girls generally mature about two years before boys. Irrespective of gender, the differences between chronological and biological age at different stages of development possibly vary by as much as two years and should be considered when structuring exercise programmes.
Contrary to common belief, participation in vigorous training in some types of sport does not appear to adversely affect children's growth and development. In fact, moderate physical training has been shown to enhance and optimise growth in children.
In particular, there is a common misconception that strength training should be avoided until full maturation has occurred for fear of stunted growth and injury caused by damaging natural bone growth.
The current body of scientific research overwhelmingly refutes the myths associated with strength training in children and adolescents. Properly planned and implemented strength training programmes have been shown to be safe and to promote overall health and performance.
Apart from the physical and health benefits associated with children being physically active, exercise has been associated with academic performance through improved attention levels, mood and mental function.
Every opportunity should be given to our youth to participate in sport and exercise in a safe environment which promotes health and wellbeing, enhances skill development, social interaction and, overall, emphasises fun and enjoyment.
Dr Giles Warrington is a sport and exercise physiologist and lecturer in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dublin City University