Sunday, 1 April 2012

If you have an active toddler or pre-schooler and are getting frustrated that your child won’t sit still long enough to have their shoes put on, there is good news for you and your active child.  Not only is all this activity making your child fitter and healthier, it is making them smarter and happier too! 
Research shows that tots who are active not only sleep better and are more likely to maintain a healthy weight, but they are happier than couch potato tots. Establishing healthy exercise habits  when children are small is also more likely to prevent health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer in later life. 
We commonly think of exercise benefits our physical health such as stronger muscles and bones, a leaner body because exercise helps control body fat, and better body awareness and co-ordination. However, there are benefits for your child's brain development too. In research that was published in his book, "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain", Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John Ratey explains the major benefits of exercise on the brain, how it can enhance a child's attention, memory, focus and ability to retain what is taught.  Dr Ratey explains how exercise increases cell components that support the brain's systems responsible for learning, decision-making and memory. Exercise also improves the environment of the brain cells by releasing hormones, neurotransmitters and growth factors that enhance neural pathways for learning, making it easy for brain cells to adapt or learn new information. He also claims that exercise, more than any other factor, grows brain cells and more brain cells means more room for learning.
Neurok inesiologist Jean Blaydes Madigan who has developed learning and movement programs for school aged children in the US is also a strong advocate for the importance of exercise to help children learn. He says that movement provides the brain with fuel in the form of oxygen and glucose; increases spatial awareness; helps your child develop balance and body control which in turn helps him to focus and pay attention ( little people need lots of movement experiences to develop the control that enables them to sit still and learn in a classroom later on); and the coordination developed through exercise encourages the organisation of thoughts in the brain’s hemispheres, while repetitive movements train the brain in sequencing patterns.
So while your little jumping bean is having fun racing around, try to relax and see that the benefits of all this perpetual motion far outweigh the inconvenience. Provide lots of exercise experiences such as kicking balls, running, jumping and playing at Soccer Time Kids. You are not 
only setting up lifelong habits  to make your child happy and healthy as they 
burn off some of their amazing energy, you could be making them smarter too!

Pinky McKay, International Board certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), runs a
private practice in Melbourne specializing in gentle parenting techniques. 
A sought after keynote speaker and best-selling author with 4 titles published 
by Penguin,including ‘ Toddler Tactics’, she’s an expert source for media 
appearing regularly on major network TV and quoted in various publications. 
Pinky’s books, parenting resources and her free newsletter ‘Gentle 
Beginnings’ can be found on her website www.pinkymckay.com.au
By Pinky McKay