John HehleK00191505

The importance of physical movement in children under 5.

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OutcomeThe importance of physical movement

in children under 5The importance of physical movement

in children for the strength and conditioning coach

ResearchSome activities that are used to

promote the physical movement in children

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The importance of physical movement in children under 5.

Physical activity is important for growth and development of the child’s body and mind

Lay the building blocks for their future well being and general health

Early movement patterns are then formed into different positions – lying, sitting, standing with support to free standing

The development of the whole body, including the brain comes with physical movement and they develop essential links between thinking, language and movement. Brain – body connection

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Its from the movement on the ground that a child can learn to develop muscle tone as an opposing force to gravity.

When they reach for an object they learn how much speed and force they need to reach the target

They develop an inner sense of where their body starts and ends every time they kick and stretch their legs

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Kids bodies are growing every day and being physically active improves their overall health:Stay at a healthy weightBuild their strength, flexibility and enduranceEnhance their motor skills, social skills and brain

developmentDevelop strong bonesSleep betterFeel confident about themselves and their bodies as

they growReduce their risk of feeling stressed and depressedReduce the risk of developing obesity related illnesses

such as – type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and unhealthy cholesterol levels.

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A child needs to develop fundamental movement skills, having these skills are an essential part of enjoyable participation in an active lifestyle and sports. Fundamental movement skills

Locomotor skills – eg. Walking and runningBody/ stability skills – eg, twisting and

turningManipulative skills – eg. Throwing,

catching and striking

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By physical movement and play children learn a sense of

Balance- control the movement of the body by transferring weight

Physical self awareness- understanding the way the body moves and what each body part can do

Coordination- hands, eyes and arms working togetherSymmetrical activity- develop both sides of the body in

the same wayBasic body movements- so we can move without having

to think about itLarge and fine muscle developmentSpace and direction – to know their body position in

different surroundingsThere is a strong link that higher levels of physical

activity in a childs early life will lead to a more active participation in physical activity and sports in later years.

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The importance of physical movement in children for the strength and conditioning coachRegular physical activity is an essential element of a

healthy lifestyle for children and adults, and it is an area of our health that we as sports coaches have some control over

The early physical movement patterns of children are the building blocks of fundamental and basic movements that are used in every sport.

Fundamental movement skills such as running, jumping, throwing and catching, confidence in water skills are what are essential in the development of sporting activities.

“ Learning fundamental sports skills before mastering fundamental movement skills reduce performance ability later” ( Higgs, Way, Cordinal, Norris+ Bluechardt, 2008 pg.10)

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All too often in the past training programmes offered to children in sport are just watered down or scaled down versions of adult activities

Many Irish sports organisations have already started to address the issue by drawing up specific education programs for example.Kick start 1+2 by the Athletics association

of IrelandLittle athletics manual by the IRFUFun to fame by the GAA

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There is a need for a much stronger focus and investment on the early phases, within coaching and coach education ( NCTC, 2001 pg10)

We can learn more about the growth and development of children emotional and physical and how this can impact on the sporting activity program that we deliver

Develop our coaching skills to plan, organise and deliver programs appropriate to the development stage and ability of the children we coach

Be able to understand, observe and give feedback on fundamental movement and sports skills

To inform parents on how they can play a role in physical activities for their children at home

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ResearchTo optimize the development of each child a rich

nurturing environment including movement activity is required ( Diamond + Hopson, 1998, Fisher+ Rose 1998)

According to the American health organisation physical inactivity in children is a major risk factor for developing coronary artery disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes

. Early motor skills form the foundation for later sport and exercise.(NASPE, 2002, p3)

Physical activity is an important component of early brain development and learning (NASPE, 2002)

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Physical activity guidelines for children aged 3-5

Accumulate 60 min of structured physical activity dialyAt least 60 min of unstructured up to several hours

A study in Scotland shows 3 year olds are spending 79% and 5 year olds 76% of their time inactive ( Reilly et al, 2004) these figures are replicated in Ireland ( Kelly et al, 2005)

According to the American heart association more than 10% of US children aged 2-5 were overweight in 2002.

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Some activities that are used to promote the physical movement in childrenInfants. Should be encouraged to explore their environmentTo promote movement in infants provide colourful and moving mobiles over their cribs that they can reach and grasp or kick with their feetPlay games that encourage the infant to come and get toys

within crawling or reaching distanceGive them opportunities to play with large blocks, stacking

toys, nesting cups, textured balls and squeezy toys Tummy time is recommended to help strengthen babies

necks, shoulder and torso muscle which they will need to roll over, crawl and sit up.

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Toddlers, should get at least 30 min of structured physical activity daily and several hours of unstructured movement. Now that a child is a toddler it will no longer be content by just playing on a blanket.

Simple activities like a game of follow the leader. Toddlers love music so there is no better way to get their bodies moving then some dancing to silly songs with them.Just by rolling a ball over and back with them on

the floorObstacle course – a great way to combine all of the

physical skills that a toddler has cecently learned like, running, crawling and jumping

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Preschoolers, between the ages of 3-5 children are starting to develop their gross motor skills and enjoy a wide variety of activities. They should get at least 60 minutes of structured physical activity daily and several hours of unstructured movement. These skills are important because they are the building blocks of for more complex and specialized skills required through their lives to play different games and sports.

Tag games- tag or chasing games mimic the hunting and hunted instinct and involve physical exercise

Relay games- are particular fun for kids and are a great way for developing team work

Kicking a ballPlay hide and seekPlaying musical chairs

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ConclusionWith todays lifestyles most young children

are not moving enoughPhysical movement in the early years are

critical for children's physical and psychological growth and for developing a lifelong healthy behavior towards sports

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References for , The importance of physical movement in children under 5

http://babyparenting.about.com/od/activitiesandplay/tp/toddler-physical-activities.htm

http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/standards/nationalguidelines/activestart.cfm

http://motherhood.modernmom.com/physical-development-activities-toddlers-1131.html

http://www.wilderdom.com/games/PhysicalActivities.html http://health.act.gov.au/kids-at-play/active-play-everyday/fundam

ental-movement-skills http://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/activities.html preschool picture http://www.csuchico.edu/cnap/leap/index.shtml infant picture

http://www.livestrong.com/article/82666-activities-encourage-motor-development-baby/

toddler playing everydaylife.globalpost.com title page picture

http://www.thebohomama.com/2013/01/movement.html picture slide 6

http://ulster.gaa.ie/category/homepage-news/page/33/

John HehleK00191505

The importance of physical movement in children under 5.