Movement and Motor Development are Key to Physical and Intellectual Health

It is no secret movement strengthens our bodies and enhances health. The benefits of regular exercise are well known in lowering the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer and a host of other illnesses. However, the United States is the most overweight and sedentary nation in the world. We begin eating and exercise habits as children, which we carry into adulthood. Since sedentary children become sedentary adults, the time to learn skills for life-long health occurs during infancy and childhood.

Early sport and exercise experiences will determine whether a child engages in future physical endeavors. When experiences are positive and rewarding, children are eager to continue participation, but if early physical experiences are frustrating or embarrassing, children will learn to avoid them. Early sport experiences become positive when children possess the skills and confidence to successfully participate. Like academic education, physical skill development does not happen spontaneously and cannot be left to chance. If children do not develop motor skills, kinesthetic awareness, coordination, and agility at a young age they are disadvantaged when faced with the challenge of physical participation. Responsible parents are attentive to academic development and understand the importance of reading, math and other academic skills. Many parents, however, do not understand the impact and importance of proper motor skill development.

The importance of early physical activity and skill development is so compelling the National Association for Sport and Physical Education has released the first ever "Activity Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers." The association recognizes that obesity is a major health problem in children and adolescents. The recent report promotes the development of movement skills beginning in infancy and provides parents and caregivers with guidelines in the development of movement skills and physical activity.

Remember when you learned to ride a bike at a very young age? Even if 5 or 10 years pass without the opportunity to ride a bike, you are able to choose biking in the future because your body and brain remember the skills you learned long ago. This is due to the neuro-muscular patterning and muscle memory which you developed. Like academic tools, these physical tools are retained for a lifetime and are ready to be called upon at any moment. The brains and bodies of babies and young children are developing at a rapid pace. This provides the most advantageous time of life for neuro-muscular patterning and to lay the foundation for a life-time of physical participation. Research now demonstrates early motor development enhances intelligence and later cognitive learning, and sensory motor integration is fundamental to school readiness. Amazingly, the part of the brain that processes movement is the same part of the brain that processes learning. Early movement and motor development positively affects memory, spatial perception, language, attention, emotion, problem solving, nonverbal cues, and even decision making. In the same way exercise shapes up the muscles, heart, lungs and bones, it also strengthens the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and corpus callosum--all key areas of the brain. Exercise enhances the number of connections among neurons and the development of capillaries around the brain's neurons. Good movement education and motor development is an important component in the responsible education of our children. Strong physical skills contribute to future health, intelligence, confidence and courage. We can give our children the gift of an active, healthy future by providing the building blocks for a life-time of physical participation.

7/29/2008