Evidence
suggests that behaviors established at a young age persist
in adulthood. If you're a parent, you probably believe the
evidence -- that's why you don't want your children "picking
up bad habits" from other children, or hanging out with
"the wrong crowd."
But this "evidence" might not be quite accurate,
at least not when we condsider a potential "good"
behavior -- physical activity. According to a recent study,
simply increasing the amount of exercise as a child doesn't
necessarily mean that your children will exercise as adults.
The study compared two adult groups: one that received five
hours of physical education weekly for six years during primary
school, and a group that received only the standard physical
activity requirements (about 40 minutes per week).
Questionnaires completed by the groups showed that childhood
physical activity did not have a significant effect on attitudes
toward, frequency of, or intentions to exercise as adults.
The authors believe that consistent exposure to the process
of exercise, and to an overall health-oriented program in
childhood, may be a more important contributor to positive
exercise/fitness patterns in adulthood.
Don't just encourage (or pressure) your children to participate
in sports. Teach your children the value of staying healthy
and active, and schedule regular visits for them with your
family chiropractor. The lessons they learn could last a lifetime.
Reference:
trudeau F, Laurencelle L, Tremblay J, et al. Daily primary
school physical education: effects on physical activity during
adult life. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise,
1999, Vol.31, No.1, pp111-117.
For additional information on sports and fitness, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/sports.html
|