I have 8 grandkids. All under 4 years old. They never stop moving. And how interesting is it that they choose climbing, running, jumping, hanging and moving quickly side to side, changing directions on a dime.
Have you ever watched kids on a playground? No limits. No thought to exercising. Just moving their bodies like little lizards all over the jungle gym. They fall and get back up. They trip and roll.
Then they get to school and the teachers tell them to “be careful” “don’t get dirty” don’t go so high” “watch your step” …..
Kids begin to become more cautious. They begin to second guess their movements. They become afraid of heights. They stop going to the top of the playground slide. Instead they go the prescribed way. They no longer hang and drop, they skip that element all together.
Why do we try to slow our kids down? Why are we micromanaging something they are so intuitively good at?
Because we are afraid. We don’t want them to get hurt. So, we begin to create fears in them that never existed. And it works. They begin to get fearful of testing their limits. They decide it’s all together too scary anymore and they opt for staying inside. They spend time with their video games and t.v. shows. No longer moving. No longer exploring. And they become sedentary.
It’s no wonder we have an epidemic in childhood obesity. Studies show that kids are on social media, video games and in front of the t.v. for an average of 2 hours a day. That’s 2 hours a day sitting, laying down, neck cocked in positions that create problems later.
2 hours daily/14 hours weekly/56 hours monthly/672 hours a year of NOT MOVING.
Now, let’s fast forward to adulthood. If we, as adults, have continued in this non movement society by the time we are 40 years old we have now accumulated 23,520 hours of couch surfing.
23,520 hours of couch surfing turns bodies into the tin man. Creaky joints. Inflammation. Weak bones. Broken hips. Broken wrists. Feet problems. Decreased range of motion. And eventually you become a permanent fixture on the couch collecting dust.
Imagine if we continued moving our bodies like children. Imagine if we looked at exercise as play. Imagine if we simply moved everyday to stay supple, agile, whole.
Go for a walk, hop on a curb, leap over a puddle, climb the stairs, hang from a tree. All of this is movement. All of this is fun. All of this can be your play.
Need help? Join us every Tuesday night at 6:30pm if you’re local. Or drop into our FREE Freedom Warrior Fitness has Gone Wild FB group. and play with us on the Warrior Playground!
Need 1:1 help? I teach W.I.L.D. FIT MOVEMENT online as well! Just respond to this email and we can chat!
Now …..
Get STRONG- Stay WILD,
Sandy
