Sports Are Key To Healthy Life

Sports Participation is a Key to a Healthy Lifestyle!
Whether it’s Tribe time, barking in “The Dawg Pound” or “witnessing” the Cavaliers,
Clevelanders love sports and our sports teams! And Clevelander’s aren’t just watching,
they’re playing! More kids than ever are participating in sports on a variety of individual
and competitive levels.
At the same time, obesity is reaching epidemic proportions in America. Here are the
hard facts: up to 1/3 of children and adolescents in America are obese, sedentary, or
both. Being inactive and obese puts our children at high risk for becoming obese adults
with health problems. And unhealthy life habits also put children at risk for developing
some diseases which we thought just belonged to adults, including heart disease,
diabetes and some cancers.
But adults and care-givers can make a difference in kids’ lives and help them to become
healthier. Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital pediatricians recommend regular
participation in sports as part of a general healthy lifestyle. Here are some important
pointers:
• Kids can start to play team sports around 6 years of age but they should get
frequent physical activity as soon as they can roll over and crawl!
• When you think of physical activity, remember that walking, running, biking,
swimming and just generally running around with friends can be as good for kids
as team sports – sometimes even better for them!
• If your child does want to joint a team while they’re still growing, they need to
remember that they are not fully mature – so it’s best to not play one particular
sport all year long. Playing a variety of sports helps to better tone and strengthen
the entire body without increasing the risk of straining certain ‘overused’ muscles
or bones.
• When playing sports, particularly in humid weather, hydration is tremendously
important – drink lots of water to avoid getting ill.
• There has been a lot of interest in sports supplements lately – but children and
adolescents should not take them. There is no good evidence to suggest
significant increases in strength or muscle mass long-term when a child is taking
such supplements.
• Sports injuries are on the rise in children, and overuse is one reason. If kids
experience pain they should rest until the pain improves – pain is our body telling
us to slow down!
A healthy diet will provide all the building blocks necessary for bones, muscles and
brains. Healthy diets for children and teens should consist of whole grain foods, low fat
or fat free dairy products, multiple servings of fruits and vegetables and a small
proportion of healthy fats from nuts, fish and vegetables. A Cleveland Clinic pediatrician can provide information on many aspects of maintaining
a healthy lifestyle, including diet and sports participation, especially at an annual checkup. A pediatrician can discuss issues regarding conditioning, stretching and weight
training as well as vitamin and nutrition supplements, unhealthy substances, and forms
of pressure to perform that kids may feel at school or from teammates. A yearly
physical exam by a pediatrician can ensure that your child is physically and
developmentally prepared to play sports safely and your doctor can also discuss
prevention of health problems and other risk factors for kids that are age-appropriate.
So, Go Team and Go Kids! Parents and pediatricians can team up and work together
to improve the health and fitness of our kids one step at a time – through healthy diet
and physical activity!