I mean specifically for very young children such as toddlers. It seems that, as a rule of thumb, they are much more physically motivante than the average (say, 30 years old or so) adults, barring those who actually practice regular exercise. Some children seem like they can run, climb and jump with a consistent timing for longer than many adults.
Is it because our own disposition has been ruined by a generally sedentary lifestyle?
In: Biology
Unfortunately this isn’t really the case in many areas. I played the role of Santa in a santa run in my local school that has a mostly council estate (deprived) catchment area. The plan was to run 2 laps of the school with the children chasing me.
I have my very own “belly like a bowl full of jelly” and even then only a couple of the the 300 or so children actually kept up with me. Most fell way behind and I heard complaints like “I think my legs are broken” and “My insides are on fire” and other such stuff.
A lot of these children simply do not exercise at all. Another school I’ve worked in gives classes wristbands that track steps and physical activity. Once the children get used to wearing them and aren’t increasing their activity because they’re wearing them, it’s seen that many engage in only around 10 minutes of moderate physical activity per day whilst at school, despite have 2 hours worth of outside break time and extra classroom activities designed to increase activity.
With the link between physical acitivity and improved cognitive function, schools are desperate to get children moving, yet children seem more sedentary than ever.
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