We hear about it constantly but it doesn’t solve the problem… our nation is becoming more inactive and suffering weight challenges more than ever before.

Australian Government statistics suggest that 2-in-3 adults and 1-in-4 children are overweight or even obese. Why is this happening and what can we do about it before it starts causing lifelong health issues like cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, not to mention mental health issues?

When reflecting on the good old days of our country’s older generation’s childhood, my how the times have changed. We were active, out and about in the great outdoors whenever we could, until Mum called us in for dinner and even then it was a tough choice – more play time or food!? We would be running, throwing, catching, chasing or climbing anything that looked fun, we were fearless and always active.

This change is serious; the effects of modern technology are creating a genuine health risk to the most important generation of our country – our kids! How do we do something about it before the children of our future become indoor screen addicts? Technology has and will continue to change our world, no doubt for the better, however, we must actively instill device control with our kids before they forget how to be kids and have fun!

It is recommended children aged from 5-18 years spend around 45 minutes each day being active, away from screens and the sofa. Being active daily is guaranteed to elevate their heart rate, give them cute little rosy cheeks and get a sweat up but more importantly, help them understand how great your body and mind feel when you exercise daily, plus how much fun being physically active is!

Parents are the key here; we all know how easy it is to pop a screen in front of the little ones to keep them from misbehaving (or to give us some peace and quiet!), however we hope parents will start to understand the extensive benefits their kids will find from using their creativity and being more active instead of letting the screen babysit. Children must learn from a young age and understand the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle. Without intervention, our children will become stuck in a cycle where being active is a ‘chore’.

The time is now – let’s get children more active and make sure they have lots of fun doing it! Being active and engaging in physical activities each day will not only put a smile on their faces and sparkle in their eye, it will be the highlight of their day plus have many advantageous health and wellbeing benefits – they will sleep better, be more positive, have more energy and be happier!

Sport and fitness develops a child’s confidence and self-esteem that is critical for their development. Without this, a child can potentially suffer various mental health issues if they don’t feel they are capable of being active, part of a team or have fun with other kids.

It is vital that parents explore different options in an effort to make physical activity for children fun again and not too competitive, challenging or even boring. Try a few different sports or fitness based activities to figure out together what they enjoy most or excel at. Most importantly, get them moving, please parents – help us fight the stats and change the future for our kids to be healthier and happier!

There are plenty of exciting and physically challenging, fun kids activities to try around your local community. If you are looking for a non-competitive activity that is different every week, where your child will learn new sports, make fitness exciting and is guaranteed serious fun – then get in touch with your local Gecko Sports Coach to attend a FREE TRIAL CLASS at one of our after-school sports and fitness programs.

Get fit. Get Gecko fit! By Kim O’Donnell – Managing Director, Gecko Sports.
www.geckosports.com.au

TERM 2 JULY – SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMS
Make sure your child stays active, happy & healthy these school holidays! Come along and join in the awesome fun at a Gecko Sports action-packed KIDS BOOTCAMP holiday session (program includes fun fitness + multi-sport games & activities). Gecko Sports run indoor & outdoor school holiday programs suitable for children aged between 5-13 y/o.

BRIGHTON:
Dates: Tue 4th, Thur 6th, Tue 11th, Thur 13th July
Times: 9am – 12pm each day (3 hours, ages 5-13y/o)
Where: St Andrews Street, Brighton VIC
Cost: $40 per child (sibling discounts apply)
BOOKINGS: Anthea 0420 570 120 or anthea@geckosports.com.au