Worried that your child’s not getting enough exercise? We look at different ways of getting your children up and about and talk to cricketer and Strictly Come Dancing winner Darren Gough about why dancing is the grooviest exercise around.
Fat chance
With over one million obese children under the age of 16, Britain has become one of the fattest European nations. Not only does being overweight increase the risk of health problems such as asthma, diabetes and even cancer, but it also can cause emotional distress in terms of teasing by other children, which could lead to further eating disorders.
There are two very obvious and simple reasons why children are becoming more obese: the first is that they are eating too much of the wrong kind of food; the second is that they are not getting enough exercise, choosing sedentary activities such as watching TV or playing computer games instead. Children under five are naturally quite active beings and should be easy to persuade to take some form of exercise.
The great news too is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to ensure they get it. Walking to the park, skipping, swimming at the local pool, or running around with a football gets their bodies going and they’ll love doing it too!
Happy feet
Another great form of exercise is dancing and, with the long, dark, winter nights, it can be your best bet at the moment to get your children moving about. Persil Non-Bio has been running an advertising campaign, coinciding with the launch of the animated film Happy Feet , to get 3.5 million preschools to get dancing, with the help of England cricketer and Strictly Come Dancing winner Darren Gough. “Before Strictly Come Dancing, I was never into dancing at all,” Darren reveals. “I always felt a bit embarrassed! But since then I really enjoy it, it’s great fun and I do it with my boys now. It’s such an easy way for parents to have fun with their little ones, and keep them active.
My message to parents would be just throw yourself into dancing and enjoy it with your kids. It’s not only fun, it’s great for their development and creativity!” If you’re reading this thinking that you’ll need to teach your little ones the quick step or paso doble to have any success, think again. “A great way to get your little ones dancing is to just put some of their favourite music on and start dancing yourself, encouraging them to join in,” advises Darren. “My favourite song would be Night to Remember by Shalamar.”
Dance expert Lara Robinson, who is also involved in the campaign, agrees with Darren, adding, “Mimicry is a great way for kids to learn and it will make them feel more confident to try it themselves. Start off with some gentle moves and then as they grow in confidence, you can start to boogie! Dancing is a fun way to start being creative with your kids at an early age; it’s good for their development, creativity, confidence and social skills now and in the future. Oh, and my favourite track would be Rio by Duran Duran!”
