Physical activity is necessary for a healthy life. We need to exercise from our very childhood, having a regular routine which helps us develop our body and maintain our body weight, preventing numerous illnesses and health problems from taking place. Adolescents can usually manage their exercise plans, being capable of staying physically active regularly, stopping and resting when necessary. However some other factors may lead them into working too hard, making the whole process counter-productive.
The Mistake We Make
Most commonly, parents are responsible for their children working out excessively, affecting their health negatively. Namely, these days, we have about 45 million of US children participating in organized sports every year. These children may even be toddlers aging from 2 to 6, being forced to do their best in highly competitive sports such as soccer, hockey, rugby, cheerleading, ice skating, basketball, baseball, football and others. These sports can put quite a pressure on the children. Additionally, high expectations of parents may easily force children to excessive physical strain, leading to injuries and many other negative outcomes.
According to health experts, recommended, healthy, dosage of exercising is about 5 days a week, with at least a single day off every week. Moreover, those who are professional athletes need to allow their body to recover from strenuous exercises for at least 2 months every year. If these factors are not implemented, the athlete can suffer from serious injuries.
The Body Knows
Our body possesses two main systems of sensing called proprioception and interoception. The first one deals with our body's coordination of movements, shape of our body and our position regarding other objects and living beings around us. The second one consists of countless neurons which allow us to sense numerous things around us ranging from our tense or relaxed muscles to sensations like warm, cold, dizzy, happy, sad etc.
When these systems are working well, we can easily manage our way through physical activities and recognize the time for resting and recuperation. Moreover, our body knows exactly where muscles and over-strained tissue need to be repaired. However, once we ignore this system and the warning messages it gives, we push ourselves over the limit and risk damaging our body's capability of noticing, locating and fixing damage, leading to excessive stress, tiredness and muscle pain. This is why most athletes develop some kinds of chronic injuries.
Know the Difference
Keep in mind that your child is engaging into a sport activity for fun and health purposes. Also, he/she is doing so in order to learn how to be a team player and to socialize with others. These are positive aspects of every activity. If your child complains about pain and tiredness, let him/her rest enough to allow his/her body to recuperate. Too much exercise can lead to damage beyond repair, so be careful and take good care of your child.
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