The prevalence of childhood obesity is something that affects more of the world than we may be aware. I know that I for one used to think of childhood obesity as being purely North America's problem, however Australia and other countries and nations are no longer exempt from the spreading of this disease. Between the years of 1985 and 1995 childhood obesity both doubled and tripled in Australia. The results from a 2007-2008 study revealed that one in four Australia children aged between 5-17 years are classified as overweight or obese (thats 25%), however this number could be and very possibly may be higher now in 2016. Even more shocking is the fact that almost two out of three Australian adults are obese (around 63%). It has been proven that obese children have a 25-50% chance of becoming obese adults.
This is really scary to me. Being overweight and obese is the second biggest contributor to disease. As a result overweight and obese children are at a much greater risk of developing health problems during their lives, such as high blood pressure, bowel diseases and bowel cancer, heart attack, stroke and type 2 diabetes. We should be giving the children of Australia and of the world the best possible chance at living a long and healthy life. Being proactive is the best way to tackle this issue, as the ramifications of having an overweight and obese population are vast; including but not limited to psychological, physical and financial burdens being placed on our society. Prevention of children becoming obese is the easiest and most inexpensive strategy that we can utilise.
Here we tie in Pilates! One of the paramount causes of childhood obesity is the absence or severe insufficiency of exercise. The other is of course diet, however I have recently noticed (as I am sure you all have to) a major push in the community and Australia towards healthier eating. Therefore the issue I have chosen to discuss today is the decline of children involved in physical activity. Children of today are adopting an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, due to the increase in availability and popularity of television, video games and all things IT. If children are not being taught to move their bodies daily, how do we expect that their behaviour will be any different in adulthood? Studies have actually proven that children who are involved in any type of physical activity are more likely to continue living a healthy and active lifestyle throughout the rest of their lives. We as a society need to ingrain exercise into our children's' lives; we need to make moving the body and exercise a fun and entertaining activity to perform everyday. School sport is one way to incorporate physical activity into a child's life, however it is not enough. Children should be playing sport before or after school and / or engaging in exercise on the weekends. As a society and in our smaller communities, even as small as our immediate households, we need to teach children that a healthy lifestyle is a gift that they are very lucky to have been given.
So, what can Pilates provide children with that other types of exercise may not be able to? Here's a few benefits specific for children that Pilates brings to the table:
- It is low-impact, which is very safe for children who may be slightly clumsy or accident prone,
- It offers an alternative exercise routine for children that do not like 'standard' exercise, such as running, swimming, playing team sports,
- This form of exercise can be done anywhere with next to no props needed, therefore it is very accessible and available,
- It is inexpensive,
- It can be an interactive form of physical activity, if done in a class setting, which is great for teaching children social skills,
- It teaches children about body awareness. This is vital as children benefit greatly in childhood and later in life from developing correct posture, proper movement patterns of their muscles and good stability,
- Increased body awareness results in improved self-esteem and self-confidence,
- Pilates instructs children how to activate and strengthen their core, which is crucial to preventing injury,
- It improves balance, coordination, muscle memory and joint flexibility, which in turn can enhance a child's performance in other forms of sport, such as swimming, running, etc,
- Pilates educates children on how to develop and continue to grow a body-mind-muscle connection, and lastly,
- Pilates has actually been proven as a form of physical fitness that children gain enjoyment from!
Please note that it does take two to tango and that exercise alone will not prevent obesity. Children should be eating as healthy as nutrition-conscious adults, if not healthier, as they are very susceptible at a young age and are doing tremendous amounts of growing.
How can Premium Pilates Studio help? Most of our instructors have Blue Cards and are therefore licensed to instruct children. We have seen several child clients of ours experience the benefits of Pilates over the past few years. Call us today on 0402 680 724, visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com or email us at inquiries@premiumpilatesstudio.com today.
The Premium Pilates Studio team
Information and images from:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160117/health-fitness/Pilates-for-children-get-up-and-go.599028, http://www.aihw.gov.au/overweight-and-obesity/, http://www.pppcronulla.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Childrens-Pilates.jpg, http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/smart-eating-for-you/nutrition-a-z/childhood-obesity/
No comments:
Post a Comment