Fitness
FEATURES
Play is as important as eating, sleeping and exercise in a healthy lifestyle because it stimulates and relaxes our body
and mind. Regular play helps develop creativity, supercharges learning, relieves stress and connects us to others.
Regardless of your age, you need to give yourself permission to take breaks to play with joyful abandon.
CHILDREN
YOUTH
TEENS
YOUNG ADULTS
In the early years, children
need active play to develop
fundamental movement
patterns and to build their
physical and emotional selfesteem. Simple skills like
running, jumping, hopping,
skipping, throwing, catching and galloping build the
foundation for sports skills
for a lifetime. When children experience play, they
learn to enjoy the feeling
of being active and that
paves the way for a lifetime of healthy living.
With the adolescent growth
spurt comes uncertainty
and confusion about how
changing bodies move. Quick
growth of arms and legs creates very long levers that are
capable of producing a great
deal of force and momentum.
Most young adults will
not continue with physical
education after grade 9
(age 14 yrs) and many will
not be talented enough to
play on a sports team. With
the end of required physical
education and competitive
sports, many of our youth
disappear into a sedentary
life at school and home.
The focus shifts in our
early 20s to career and to
the search for a partner to
share the exciting moments
in life. Many young adults
search for acceptance in a
new circle of friends and
being fit, healthy and active
takes on new meaning.
Many social events for this
age group revolve around
sports and activities like
beach volleyball or zip lining,
so being fit and active gives
individuals the confidence to
jump into exciting new opportunities with their peers.
Collect all the kids from the
neighborhood and host play
days. Everyone has a blast
while kids learn to appreciate their bodies and burn
off some stored-up energy.
58 | whiteoaksclub.com | fall 2013
The gangly baby giraffe look
makes teens self conscious
about their appearance
and also creates a perfect
opportunity for injuries to
bones and joints. Helping
youth learn body control
through active play, recreational or competitive
sports promotes confidence
and safety with growth.
Hanging out with friends is
a big part of social interaction for youth, so promote
group activities to build a
network of active peers.
Finding active outlets for
youth is critical to keep
them engaged in their own
health and well-being and
away from the negative distractions of idle time. This
is a perfect time to transition teens into a healthy
lifestyle that may include
new and diverse activities
like hiking, skateboarding or
off-road cycling to counteract the adrenaline rush
that video gaming delivers.
Playing hard physically in
your 20s can do so much
more than the bar scene
can in helping young adults
create a positive attitude
that translates to success
in other aspects of their
social and work life.