Psychosocial Development in Physical Activity

Physical activity is fun and good for kids.

Exercise is an important part of every child's development. Regardless of how athletically inclined a child is, he still needs physical activity. The American Heart Association advises that all kids ages 2 or older need to participate in at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day (raises the heart rate), which can be broken into blocks of 10 or 15 minutes. Physical activities should be enjoyable to the child and appropriate to her individual needs.

Significance

Physical activity is important to overall physical health and development for children. But it can affect them socially and psychologically, as well. Too little physical activity can lead to low self-esteem, weight problems and other health problems. Lack of physical activity can even contribute to depression.

Psychological Development

Physical activity can benefit the psychological development of children and adolescents in very important ways. According to the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, the psychological benefits of exercise are far-reaching. It provides a way to deal with stress and negative feelings, improves mood, self-esteem, self-confidence in one's physical abilities and overall, makes a person more comfortable with themselves, happier and more alert. Long-term exercise habits can even reduce symptoms of depression for some people.

Social Development

Physical activity often occurs in groups. In early childhood and middle childhood, this usually takes the form of play and casually organized sports leagues. Some teens may become very immersed in the social aspect of sports. In addition to gaining confidence in their own abilities, kids also learn how to appreciate the abilities of others, compromise and gain confidence in interacting socially with their peers through playtime and organized sports activities.

Childhood

While a lot of kids in the electronic age tend to spend a lot of time doing on the computer or playing video games, kids still need to go outside and play. Physical playtime activities are an important part of a child's psychological and physical development. Playing with other children is very important to learning social skills like fairness and sportsmanship. The American Heart Association suggests to limit inactive play to make room for physical activities. Making physical activity part of family time can provide children with a solid foundation for a lifetime of health and fitness.

Adolescence

If teens choose inactive hobbies like writing or reading, make sure they still get appropriate exercise. Beware of which days and semesters teens have physical fitness class or, really, when they do not have the recommended 30 minutes of exercise as part of their day. But, according to Dr. Larry Lauer and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, it also important to making sure not to overstress sports. While teen sports can be very competitive, don't let your kid burn out by allowing sports to dominate any excess time for their friendships and other pressure-free activities adolescents also need with their peers to develop socially.

References

• American Heart Association: Exercise (Physical Activity) and Children
• Association for Applied Sport Psychology: Psychological Benefits of Exercise
• Association for Applied Sport Psychology: Keeping Perspective in Youth Sport