The Importance of Winter Sports for Children

By Brandi Swieter

With Thanksgiving and Christmas within roughly a month of each other, and school breaks added to the schedule, many children are sitting at home through the winter overeating at family gatherings and playing with their new toys and video games they received as gifts. It’s important to make sure children stay involved in athletics even through the winter season, rather than allowing them to stay home each day. It helps them to stay fit and keep active during an otherwise very inactive season.

Burning Calories and Staying Healthy

One of the biggest benefits of children playing sports in the winter months is that they’re staying healthy. They can burn calories while running and playing outdoors, getting rid of that excess weight they may have started to gain while overeating at family parties and holiday events. Children should remain as active as possible no matter the season to maintain their health and keep them in good shape.

Stress Relief

It’s easy for children to develop feelings of stress and upset during the holidays when they’re stuck at home each day. They may feel cooped up and depressed when having to sit inside. Sports offer stress relief as kids run and play on the court, field or rink. Staying active helps them get away from home for awhile and engage in some activities that will clear their minds and help them focus on other things.

Socialization

Many kids have a long winter break from school, often two weeks at a time. They may even have other days off for Thanksgiving and again around February. These extended breaks can lead some to feel lonely and cut off from their peers. Socialization is important for children, and they get that from sports. They will get to spend a few hours around other kids so they can interact with others and enjoy the company of children their own age rather than being alone in a room at home in front of the TV.

Children need some sort of activity to do during the winter season. Sports allow kids to socialize with others, get stress relief when needed, and burn calories. When the holiday season begins and there’s a lot of food to be eaten, it’s easy to overeat and sit in front of the television. Enrolling your child in a winter sport will help them to stay active and healthy even through the holidays.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Cary, N.C.


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