Why Sports Should Be A Part Of Your Lifestyle & That Of Your Kids

As kids, we all loved playing sports? Didn’t we? Remember when we used to finish our schoolwork quickly so that we could go out to play? Or, when we used to pester our parents to let us play, while we were still had a syllabus to cover for an upcoming test? Banishing us from playing sports was also one of the forms of punishment that our parents employed. However, this changes as we grow up. With increased academic pressure or work responsibilities, we often get short on time to devote to our favourite sports. Nowadays, for the kids too, the growing academic pressure and the popularity of online games do not leave them with much time to explore some sporting options. 

At one point, playing was seen as a distraction from academics. We tended to ignore its many physical and mental health benefits. To understand why we should make sports a part of our lifestyle and its benefits for the kids, Onlymyhealth spoke to Dr Manjeet Singh Arora, who is a Senior General Physician at the Fortis Hospital Mulund. 

Why Kids Should Play Sports

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Children and adolescents must play regularly as it:

• Improves cardio-respiratory fitness
• Strengthens bones and muscles
• Helps in weight management
• Reduces the risk of developing serious health conditions
• It also plays a role in improving academic performance. This is because sports require memorization, repetition, and learning, which can be directly utilised in schoolwork.
• While playing a sport, a team aims at a common goal. Hence, it builds team spirit. It also helps kids in problem-solving, decision-making, and in being able to communicate better.
• It also boosts self-esteem and winning and seeing your hardwork being recognised provides a big boost to the self-confidence.
• Physical activity also reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.

Overall Benefits Of Playing Sports

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• When you make playing sports a part of your lifestyle, it:
• Improves your heart health, thus reducing your risk of getting a heart attack, stroke, etc
• Helps in weight management
• Manages blood pressure
• Improves muscular strength and endurance
• Improves joint flexibility and motion
• Releases stress
• Lowers the risk of certain kinds of cancer
• Controls cholesterol
• Strengthens the immune system
• Improves mental health
• Improves the quality of sleep
• Prolongs life

Diet You Should Have When You Play Sports

Once you start playing, your health improves. However, physical activity is just one aspect of fitness, the other one being diet. You must include the following food items in your diet for better fitness results:

• Lots of fruits
• Oats
• Vegetables, both starchy, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash, and non-starchy, such as broccoli and leafy greens.
• Whole grains
• Fiber

At the same time, you must also avoid, or limit your intake of the following foods:

• Sports drinks
• Sodas
• Items rich in saturated and trans fats
• Limit your caffeine intake
• Avoid alcohol

Along with sports, you must also include aerobic exercises and muscle and bone strengthening workouts in your daily routine. Also, make it a point to not skip breakfast. If needed, have smaller meals in between the regular. By doing all these, you will be amazed to see the immense benefits.

(With inputs from Dr Manjeet Singh Arora, who is a Senior General Physician at the Fortis Hospital Mulund)

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