In the last decades, running events in Malaysia have been vigorously opening categories such as ‘Fun Run’ or ‘Kids Dash’, involving age group of 6 to 13 years old most commonly. Getting kids outside and active is obviously a good thing. It is a good move that the trend presents attempts to get kids off their tablets, video games and television time onto tracks and athletic fields. For out-of-shape kids, inadequate physical activity is causing a rise for mortality rate across all ages, according to the World Health Organization. Researchers across the world are finding significant annual declines in cardiovascular fitness and obesity is at an all-time high among adolescents. This can have a lasting ramifications for future health.
We can’t blame the children entirely for their tech-addiction, especially if the children have a digital babysitter, to keep them out of mischief or to keep them entertained while being at home or even during meal times.
As many know, parenting isn’t an easy job. “Don’t run too far out, be alert, be careful out there!” parental anxiety is nothing new. Safety and insecurity are also some of the reasons for parents to refrain their children from outdoor activities. Parents hover over their kids as if every step might be dangerous or may cause them injury. We can’t control everything, despite our impulses to try. The good news is that most nightmare scenarios are rare. Unfortunately, the low probability events often make the biggest news stories and make parents worry most. Use reasonable safeguards and target your concern on more likely dangers.
For kids to develop properly, they must often do things in which there is a reasonable degree of risk. Children should play tag games, ride their bikes, swim in the pool, and climb on monkey bars. Don’t let your worries interfere with your child’s ability to do normal and age-appropriate activities. No one can promise you that there will never be an accident or a mistake, but these are normal parts of growing up. Life always involves some level of risk, so allow your children to do the things that most children of their age are allowed to do, in fact participation should be further encouraged.
Too much sitting takes a heavy toll on your health! Researchers are pouring resources into studying the negative effects of sitting for extended periods and have identified the increased risk for at least 35 types of diseases. NASA has found that standing up for 2 minutes 16 times a day while at work is an effective strategy for maintaining bone and muscle intensity. ‘The key is breaking up your activity throughout the day,” said Dr Hedge, a professor of ergonomics at Cornell University.
RUNNING’S ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER SPORT?
Especially for kids who aren’t athletically inclined or who are overweight, running gives them a chance to be physically active on their own pace. Unlike team sports, it tends to be highly competitive that some children may not feel comfortable in a team sport environment. With running, one can make it as intense or as casual as you want. There is a reason why some children come away hating running, because the atmosphere of competing, where the fastest are “kings of the hill” and slowest are always mocked and being make fun of.
The organizations of the running events have done a good job and made people learn to celebrate and honor everyone’s efforts and everyone who takes the effort to finish their run are awarded with a finisher medal. Besides, there are no complicated rules to learn with running. It is highly accessible and with a relatively low price tag. All you need to get started is a good pair of shoes and a desire to put one foot in front of the other. The increase of registrations for family fun-run can bring children and parents together, especially as the sport has become more popular in the last decade.
Especially for children that are involved in sports, like running, at one time or another, children have episodes of limping which can be caused by minor injury and will get better by itself; some may last longer than a week and is not getting better on its own; or some may have recurrence of symptoms from overuse injury. Parents can always keep an eye on them, pay attention to whether or not the injury they sustained is serious and if any medical attention is required to help them with recovery.
