Life is imitating art as modern children become more and more like the tellytubbies. They’re spending more of their their time looking at screens (computers, tv’s and video arcades) and they’re waistlines are increasing too.
According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 17 per cent of children and adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 are obese, while in Australia, it’s around 20 to 25%.
Children aged between 7 – 12 should get between 10/11 hours sleep a night and bigger kids need around 8/9 hours – but with studies showing that kids are spending up to five and a half hours in front of screen media each day, this adds up to around a third of their waking day! This ‘lazy’ lifestyle is exacerbated by obesity and could put young people at considerable risk of serious health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular problems and type 2 diabetes.
It’s quite simple, a healthy lifestyle with appropriate exercise and a healthy diet is vital for the wellbeing of our children.
Every parent knows how useful the television can be when it comes to having an instant childminder if there are chores to be done. However, if the ‘childminder’ has become all-consuming, perhaps it is time to get them involved in something that stimulates the body and the mind, that’s fun and exciting and that sets them up for life. Martial arts.
Martial arts sets the foundation for children to lead well-adjusted, balanced and fulfilled lives. During their many hours in front of the TV, our children could very well have encountered the iconic Bruce Lee and his heroic exploits or the Karate Kid’s uplifting road to fame, but karate for kids goes way beyond a swift hand chop or a flying leg kick. It builds fitness, endurance, flexibility and muscle strength. Importantly, it builds self-esteem, self-confidence, integrity and respect. The short answer is that karate can make an enormous difference to a child’s (and an adult’s) life and set them up for life, says well-known martial arts exponent in Perth, Grant Rollinson.
Even if your child isn’t overweight or inactive, karate lessons are a great way of getting gym fit and developing lifelong skills, such as :
· Builds respect, discipline, integrity and courtesy
· Enhances concentration
· Builds self-esteem and leadership skills
· Reducing stress levels
· Helps people overcome fears and rise to the challenge
· Builds a community spirit
· Stimulates a belief in healthy living with regular exercise
Obesity in children can pose significant challenges – physical, health, social and emotional – and finding a safe activity that can address all of these can literally be a life-saver. With its multifaceted approach, kids karate can make an enormous impact on a young life as it emphasizes not only physical health but emotional and social strength too.
In the words of Master Gichin Funakoshi : ‘the ultimate aim of the art of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the characters of its participants’.
