Kids and teacher Le Ngoc Ha at a dancing class at Hanoi Children’s Palace. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – It is accepted by everyone that childrenneed plenty of regular physical exercise, but parents in major cities are not doingenough to ensure this, experts say.
Nguyen Thi Lam, deputydirector of the National Institute of Nutrition, said children in urban areasdo not have sufficient playgrounds and are overloaded with homework and extraclasses, and their parents are too busy to pay due attention to this problem.
As a result, child obesity and attendant problems are on the rise.
Pham Ngoc Ha, a dance teacher at the Hanoi Children’s Place, said thatwhen most adults think about exercise, they imagine working out in the gym,running on a treadmill, or lifting weights. However, for children, exercisemeans playing and being physically active.
Ha, who has been teaching for almost 30 years, said kids benefit a lot fromregular exercise. They are more active, have stronger muscles and bones, andleaner bodies. They are less likely to become overweight, and generally have abetter outlook on life.
Boys and girls can join basic dancing classes, including ballet, aerobic andmodern dancing, from when they are just five, she said. “Kids exercise whenthey have gym class at school, during recess, at a dance class or footballpractice, while riding bikes or when just playing around in the school ground.
“But it is a fact nowthat children have less time for physical practice at school.”
Pham Ha An, a busyphotographer and father of an 8-year-old dancing class student, said thatdespite his hectic schedule, he took time off two days a week to take hisdaughter to the Hanoi Children’s Place.
“I feel anxiety aboutthe sedentary problem among primary school children. Being overweight inchildhood has become a serious problem. Many things addto this epidemic, but a big part of it is that kids are becoming moresedentary. In other words, they’re sitting around a lot more than they used to.
“Kids and teens nowspend hours every day in front of a screen (TVs, smartphones, tablets, andother devices) looking at a variety of media (TV shows, videos, movies,games). Too much screen time and not enough physical activity add to theproblem of childhood obesity.”
Nguyen Thanh Van, a 36-year-old shop owner in Hanoi, mother of two, said hersole focus was earning money for her children’s studies. She herself has had adifficult life because she was not well educated, so she exerts a lot ofpressure on her children to study hard.
“High results at school are the success of a child,” she said. “My kids, 10 and6, should take extra classes in Math and English after school.”
The older one, Van, weighs 43 kg and is nearsighted. The smaller is tendingtowards obesity.
Prof Duong Nghiep Chi, former director of the Vietnam Sports Science Institute,said people should have comprehensive physical and mental developmentduring their childhood.
Besides enjoying the health benefits of regular exercise, kids who arephysically fit sleep better. They’re also better able to handle physical andemotional challenges — from playing a football match to studying for a test, hesaid, adding that there was a difference among parents’ awareness about theimportance of physical exercise for their kids.
Well educated parentsliving in urban areas support both physical and mental development of theirchildren, but many still think the best and most important thing to do afterschool is to finish homework and study.
Chi said sport activities should be a focus from pre-school onwards. Parentsshould encourage their kids to do a variety of activities so that they can workon all three elements: endurance, strength, and flexibility.
“Replacing physicalpractice in the open, kids in cities are locked into rooms with TVs andsmartphones because their parents have less time to play with them,” he said.
As a result, child obesity and attendant problems are on the rise.
Pham Ngoc Ha, a dance teacher at the Hanoi Children’s Place, said thatwhen most adults think about exercise, they imagine working out in the gym,running on a treadmill, or lifting weights. However, for children, exercisemeans playing and being physically active.
Ha, who has been teaching for almost 30 years, said kids benefit a lot fromregular exercise. They are more active, have stronger muscles and bones, andleaner bodies. They are less likely to become overweight, and generally have abetter outlook on life.
Boys and girls can join basic dancing classes, including ballet, aerobic andmodern dancing, from when they are just five, she said. “Kids exercise whenthey have gym class at school, during recess, at a dance class or footballpractice, while riding bikes or when just playing around in the school ground.
“But it is a fact nowthat children have less time for physical practice at school.”
Pham Ha An, a busyphotographer and father of an 8-year-old dancing class student, said thatdespite his hectic schedule, he took time off two days a week to take hisdaughter to the Hanoi Children’s Place.
“I feel anxiety aboutthe sedentary problem among primary school children. Being overweight inchildhood has become a serious problem. Many things addto this epidemic, but a big part of it is that kids are becoming moresedentary. In other words, they’re sitting around a lot more than they used to.
“Kids and teens nowspend hours every day in front of a screen (TVs, smartphones, tablets, andother devices) looking at a variety of media (TV shows, videos, movies,games). Too much screen time and not enough physical activity add to theproblem of childhood obesity.”
Nguyen Thanh Van, a 36-year-old shop owner in Hanoi, mother of two, said hersole focus was earning money for her children’s studies. She herself has had adifficult life because she was not well educated, so she exerts a lot ofpressure on her children to study hard.
“High results at school are the success of a child,” she said. “My kids, 10 and6, should take extra classes in Math and English after school.”
The older one, Van, weighs 43 kg and is nearsighted. The smaller is tendingtowards obesity.
Prof Duong Nghiep Chi, former director of the Vietnam Sports Science Institute,said people should have comprehensive physical and mental developmentduring their childhood.
Besides enjoying the health benefits of regular exercise, kids who arephysically fit sleep better. They’re also better able to handle physical andemotional challenges — from playing a football match to studying for a test, hesaid, adding that there was a difference among parents’ awareness about theimportance of physical exercise for their kids.
Well educated parentsliving in urban areas support both physical and mental development of theirchildren, but many still think the best and most important thing to do afterschool is to finish homework and study.
Chi said sport activities should be a focus from pre-school onwards. Parentsshould encourage their kids to do a variety of activities so that they can workon all three elements: endurance, strength, and flexibility.
“Replacing physicalpractice in the open, kids in cities are locked into rooms with TVs andsmartphones because their parents have less time to play with them,” he said.
Such children graduallyform sedentary habits and these habits follow them when they grow up.
Health experts saypeople who have exercised regularly since their childhood are at far less riskof developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension and high blood cholesterol levels.
A recent survey by the National Institute of Nutrition showed overweight children spend twice asless time than other children on getting physical exercise.
Chi said regularexercise for about 30 minutes a day, or taking kids out of home at least once aweek, riding bikes and walking will help children grow tall, have a betterphysique and suffer fewer illnesses.-VNA
VNA
