Are you concerned about the amount of time that your child has been in front of a screen over the last few months? Don’t worry, I’m not about to say that computers and television are all bad! There are, of course, a lot of fun, educational programmes on TV and online that your child can learn from and that can help your child improve their skills and knowledge. As with so many things in life, it’s all about balance and setting limits.
We know that a lot of children get their exercise from daily living and that’s what they are missing out on at the moment.
Professor Viner, a paediatrician and adolescent physician at University College London’s Institute for Child Health, said, “That’s walking to school, walking around at school, moving between classes, kicking a football with your mates. That’s how most children burn energy. But that’s not happening for the great majority of children. In lockdown, most have not been able to do that.”
He also said that the good exercise habits some families adopted at the start of the lockdown may well have faded. He added that “although families were eating fewer takeaways, the snack cupboard was always available.”
According to another study published in April 2020, by the University at Buffalo who said, “…we examined 41 overweight children under confinement throughout March and April in Verona, Italy. Compared to behaviours recorded a year prior, the children ate an additional meal per day; slept an extra half hour per day; added nearly five hours per day in front of the phone, computer and television screens; and dramatically increased their consumption of red meat, sugary drinks, and junk foods.
Physical activity, on the other hand, decreased by more than two hours per week, and the number of vegetables consumed remained unchanged.” (Source: Science Daily June 3, 2020)
Coming from a gymnastics background, it is needless to say that I am going to encourage you to keep your child as active as possible during lockdown. I truly believe that gymnastics is the foundation of all sports. It teaches us the fundamental movement and skills that are at the core of every other sport.
We have created the Gym Classroom to help with your child’s physical and emotional health. There are a combination of live and recorded online daily classes and engaging workouts to take part in from your home or garden. They will help your child improve their fitness levels, strength and flexibility. Plus there is a parents folder full of activities, support and resources dedicated to to the health and wellbeing of your whole family.
Daily movement is as important as watching what your child eats. Fill their time with some physical activities and make the most of the daily classes and workouts available to you at the Gym Classroom. They really are a lot of fun. Doing daily stretches with your child will help to give them some much needed routine and also improve the bond between you not to mention the improvement it will bring to your child’s physical and mental health.
As things are beginning to relax and the 1-metre rule comes into effect we are making plans to get our members back to their clubs as soon as we possibly can subject to government guidelines. If you would like to join the Flair family we’d love to meet you!
GOOD NEWS – We are now open for priority bookings
OR CALL >> 01483 654440
We can’t wait to see you!