Today’s kids are more sedentary than the youngsters of the past, but how important is the daily use of smartphones and tablets? We talk about this topic with Dr. Stefano Respizzi, Director of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery Department in Humanitas.
“Play and sport activities guarantee a complete development in children, but today children spend little time in physical activity and have very limited motor skills. A very different situation compared to a few years ago, when sport was a very strong component in the growth of children and young people,” explains Dr. Respizzi.
The advantages of team sports
“As the years have gone by, the social dimension of sport has been somewhat lost; team sports, on the other hand, are extremely important for our youngsters, not only because they encourage their correct development, but also because they strengthen their motor skills and increase their ability to work together to achieve a common goal. It is good to leave the children free to experience different activities as well: the important thing is that they move. Too often we adults focus on the results, but competition and excessive pressure can discourage children and encourage their abandonment of sport,” says the specialist.
The sport you like
“It’s good for everyone to find the sport they prefer: enjoying motor activity with pleasure is a fundamental element in ensuring that children and teenagers are constant. Regular training during adolescence increases the likelihood that the child will develop an attitude towards movement and that he will be active in this style in the years to come.
The problem, therefore, does not lie in the use of mobile phones or mobile devices per se, but this habit must be seen in a broader context that sees a significant increase in sedentary lifestyles, even in adults.
It is therefore a good idea for regular recreational and sporting activities to be part of a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet and an active life, starting from the simplest daily habits, preferring to travel on foot or by bicycle and stairs to lifts and escalators,” concluded Dr. Respizzi.
