Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is important to children because it helps the children to maintain a healthy weight. If children don’t eat healthy they can become over weight and can become obese. Children that are overweight can have medical that maybe things such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes or asthma.
Children that are overweight have psychosocial problems because they have low self- esteem and have academic problems. And other children or adults may make fun of them. When children don’t exercise there can be a lot of different weight problems, social and self- esteem problems. Being overweight can also be a genetic problem and not because you are not eating the right foods or eating more than you should. Over weight can also cause behavioral factors in children.
Adults can help children develop good fitness habits by doing exercises every day. And by being role models and do the exercise with them. And the teacher can do different exercises with them. So that the children won’t get bored or tired of doing the same things every day. If the children see the teacher doing exercises they are more than likely to follow along. And the teacher can make the exercise fun by adding music to the exercises.
Teachers can also encourage the children to keep moving. And giving the children balls, bubbles, and hula hoops to play with. By taking children outside on the playground this can help the child develop motor skills by running, jumping, and climbing.
One activity children can do to improve their gross motor skills is the crawfish walk. This is a game where the children walk backwards slowly. It helps the child have more coordination and it helps them to use different muscles in their legs. Children can also play hop and stop by hopping on one leg until the teachers says stop. And then switch to the other leg. This game helps the child develop muscle tone.
One activity children can do to improve their fine motor skills is playing with play dough. And using the play dough to make different things with it. It can be used to cut out different shapes or objects with cookie cutters. Also by letting children thread beads or macaroni on strings help the children to use their hands and have hand to eye coordination.
As parents and teachers we are role models for children. What children see and learn from us will stick with the children. By setting good examples the children will remember this and will use it in the future.
By the teacher being active along with the children and showing them that exercise can be fun. By exercising can help children be healthy and not get over weight. Eating healthy and exercising along with children will let children know that this is healthy and good for them.