Exercise and sport

Children have an inner urge to move their bodies. Movement trains children's perception. Above all, spatial awareness, body awareness, coordination and balance are required and developed further. Physical experience can be understood as a direct self-experience. This is essential for building trust and positive self-confidence and for reducing stress. Movement also boosts the metabolism, strengthens bones and promotes muscle and organ development.

And exercise is also fun. 😉

We want to give you a few valuable principles of childhood movement.

How much can it be?

The Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) recommends at least 1.5 hours of physical activity per day. Of course, it can be more if your child specifically wants this.
As a rough rule of thumb, walking 12,000 steps a day counts as one hour of intensive exercise.

Get moving several times a day

After quiet activities and long periods of sitting (e.g. after school or after homework), it is advisable to get moving. Perhaps you already know a few tricks to get a little more movement into your and your child's everyday life, such as walking, cycling or taking active breaks.

In addition, the time spent in front of a screen should never be longer than the time spent moving. Devices such as tablets, computers, smartphones, etc. should be used "as little as possible" - there are so many other exciting things to discover!

Sweating is allowed!

Getting a little out of breath and sweating while playing and doing sports is desirable. On two or three days a week, it can even be a little more strenuous. Various sports such as playing football, swimming or cycling promote muscle building and keep you fit.

General fitness, in turn, increases the desire to exercise for longer and to do more intense sport. But remember: children should always drink enough so that they don't run out of magic power.

Rituals can help

Toddlers are active by nature – they like to move.
Be a good role model and support your child so that they continue to enjoy exercise. Get moving and offer your child the opportunity to be active regularly or discover new sports. Daily rituals are still useful even when children get older.

You can also find out about exercise options for children and young people at school, the city administration or the citizens' office.

Sources: