According to
eHealtHow a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, switching to wintertime would reduce children's physical activity time by 15% to 20% compared to during summer days. In order to maintain a daily and regular physical activity, this British study conducted among 23,000 adolescents aged 16 years recommends not to touch the clocks. Not changing the time would thus increase the sports time of young people by 33 to 35 minutes and therefore would fight against overweight and childhood obesity, although it would only be two additional minutes per day. .
Shorter days
The coming of winter does not necessarily make children want to practice a sporting activity. Unlike the summer, where the good weather favors the desire to play outside, to run, or to cycle, the winter temperatures make the practice of an outdoor sport more difficult. In addition, the days are short, the night falls very early ...
How to Encourage Children to Stay Active in Winter?
Be careful not to hibernate in winter! If your child has gotten into the habit of moving well during the summer, keeping their rhythm and staying in shape is essential for their health. If you have not yet registered your toddler for an individual sport (gymnastics, dance, judo, etc.) or group sport (handball, basketball, etc.), contact the clubs offering activities near you. It is important that your child chooses the sport that attracts him the most because it must above all remain fun and entertainment.
Is your child not very attracted to sport? Don't force it! However, encourage him to exercise in another way, at home or with his friends. The cold should not prevent him from playing outside either: cover him well (boots, scarf, sweater, gloves, and coat) and let him have fun. You can also organize family outings together, in a park or in a forest, provided it doesn't rain too much either. If it snows this winter, take the opportunity to build the biggest snowman, have a snowball fight and play cat!
Setting rules to give him good habits is also essential to help him stay active. Indeed, it is important to limit the time spent watching television, playing on the console or on the tablet as it can be the case for many children, and even more so in winter! Warn him that he can stay in front of the screen for half an hour, but then you turn everything off. This will encourage him to do another activity so as not to get bored.
Prevent Winter Diseases
The change in temperature, the weather and the cold are all reasons to be extra vigilant in winter. Influenza, colds, bronchitis, angina ... your child is more likely to get sick with all the viruses lying around.
To anticipate winter, some homeopathic treatments can be effective in improving your child's immune system (ask your pediatrician). In addition, respecting a few hygiene rules is essential throughout the season. Wash your hands regularly to avoid contamination; do not let cold or sick people come near your baby; take to the air regularly with your little one, and in the same way, ventilate the rooms of the house for half an hour a day, even if it is cold: you will thus drive out microbes and bacteria. If you go out with your child, dress him warmly, and don't forget to find out when you get home ...
Finally, keeping your child healthy in winter also requires good sleep and a balanced diet rich in iron and vitamin C.
