Fight Child Obesity with Martial Arts

Child obesity is becoming a world wide epidemic. Children are becoming overweight at young ages due to lack of exercise and unhealthy eating. Obesity organisations worldwide are rallying to encourage parents to stop child obesity. They are encouraging parents to get their children away from the television and computers and out to go to sports and playing outside.

Martial arts have become one of the popular choices as a form of exercise for children. It not only improves a child’s physical well-being, but the sport also has advantages in fitness, co-ordination and sociability. There are several different types of marital arts to choose from. The popular ones are Karate, Judo, Muay Thai and Taekwondo.

Taekwondo is becoming a popular style among children, as it covers a wide variety of skills. It is known for its kicking techniques, as it is believed that the legs are, in relation to the rest of the body, the longest and strongest weapons a martial artist has at his or her disposal.

Martial art teaches children to defend themselves, have self-control and self- confidence. These are becoming increasingly critical characteristics in today’s modern society. The practise of a martial art can assist with bad temper and low self-esteem. It gives children not only something to do, but something to work towards.

Children can benefit from this style on a physical level, as it is both a muscular strength and aerobic workout. It will also help them with their studies, as Taekwondo teaches relaxation and meditation exercises. It focuses on making the mind and body work as one, making children improve their concentration.

Most martial art schools have classes depending on age, and children as young as 3 can start learning the style. Always research the school first to make sure the instructors know what they are doing. Also get involved yourself. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to start classes, but rather encourage your child and pay attention to what he or she learns.

Martial art will help children become goal-orientated and give them something to improve themselves on. It is also a social sport and will allow your child to develop friends and relationships outside of school. Many martial art schools host championships, giving your child opportunities to travel and meet other children from other countries.

Martial art is not the only type of exercise that children can do to stay in shape. There are also other sports such as baseball, soccer, rugby and basketball. As long as they are out the house and enjoying what they do, any form of exercise will keep them strong, fit and healthy.

According to the latest statistics from the International Obesity Task Force, 22 million of the world’s children under the age of 5 are overweight or obese. These are staggering results. Even continents such as Africa, which are thought of as poor and third world, have obesity. According to the Obesity Task Force, obesity ranks higher than malnutrition as a hazard to health in Africa. They recommend eating healthier foods and getting children involved in sports or physical activities.

Parents need to become actively involved in the care of their children, as they are the new generation. Martial arts is a fun activity that can help with getting children on their feet and moving. But parents still have to make sure that healthy living doesn’t only apply when they drop their kids off at classes. It must continue into their home life as well with good diets and encouragement.

Celeste writes for Donald Ravenscroft who trains in Taekwando.