The digital era has reached a point where pretty much everything, right from learning and entertainment to shopping, is available right at the touch of a button. But it comes at a crucial price! No, we are not talking about the price in terms of money, but health. As technology has been changing our way of living, we are, knowingly and unknowingly, descending this pattern of lifestyle to our children, which is actually affecting them adversely. Indeed, they are the ones who will suffer the most because of the impacts of this sedentary lifestyle.
In our fast-paced modern society, we hardly see children playing outside under a tree or on the streets. They rarely indulge in any physical exercise, let alone going out to play. With the growing dependency on technology and lifestyle changes, children are less active as compared to their earlier generation. This, in many ways, can pose huge risks to their health, both long-term and short-term, which may or may not be visible immediately. The adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle can show up in later stages of life and deteriorate their health in the long-term if changes are not made early.
The risks of a sedentary lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is a type of lifestyle in which an individual gets involved in very little or no physical activity at all. This kind of lifestyle is the common reason behind the rise in lifestyle diseases among children. In general, sedentary lifestyle doubles the risk of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, and even psychological effects like depression and anxiety.
Nowadays, children remain sitting still for the majority of the time during a day, whether it is at school or home. The dramatic increase in children’s screen time, either through TV or mobile, is likely the major culprit for their sedentary lifestyle. This has to be changed. The amount of time children spend in sedentary activities should be reduced drastically, and instead, they should be encouraged more to participate in outdoor activities.
Sedentary lifestyle vs active lifestyle
Our bodies are meant to move with a full range of motions, and if not, it gradually gets weakened. Sitting all day without any physical activity does no good to health. Our bodies need movement, and with every action, complex body systems are put into place for effective functioning. An hour of physical activity every day is extremely important for kids. This helps them burn energy, tone their muscles, and stimulates their brain functions.
It is worthy to mention here that there is a connection between physical activity and the development of the gross motor skills in kids. When children remain actively involved in physical activities, it helps them gain balance and coordination. Recent studies have revealed that children engaged in sedentary activities are more likely to exhibit poor motor coordination skills than those who remain active. Studies have also shown that sedentary lifestyle tends to lower the metabolism, impacts the cognitive functioning, and increases the health risk in the future. Indeed, physical activity in childhood is the key to maintaining good psychological as well as physical health for life.
By enhancing the level of physical activity, reducing the time spent on TV and gadgets, and ensuring quality sleep, we can be sure about improving the overall wellbeing of our children. It will also help prevent childhood obesity and all other associated diseases in later years of their life. It is hence imperative that appropriate steps are taken to enable the kids to make a connection with healthy lifestyles and adopt more of physical activity to stay fit and away from any health issues arising out of the sedentary lifestyle. We, at K.R. Mangalam World School, regarded as the Best School in Delhi, believe that it is necessary to encourage children to willingly adopt a healthy lifestyle rather than forcefully pushing them into it. We believe that academics surely do have a crucial role in life, but without being physically fit, attaining holistic development remains next to impossible. We have hence arranged for a wide spectrum of physical activities in our school and always encourage our pupils to remain actively involved in them. At KRMS, top 10 play school in delhi we engage our students in various gaming and extra-curricular activities that help enhance their physical, intellectual, emotional, psychological, and motor skills development. We request the parents to ensure that your kids don’t turn into couch potatoes and remain equally active at home as well. If we can lay the right foundation for children now, it will definitely help to set the tone for promising years ahead.