Children need regular physical exercise to build strong bones and muscles.  Exercises also helps children sleep well at night and stay alert during the day. Exercising can be as simple as playing around with friends.

Staying active in childhood also helps in the adolescent stage to maintain a healthy body weight despite the hormonal changes. Instances of rapid growth and peer influences that often lead to overeating can also be avoided through exercising.

Over the last 30 years, the rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled. This is as a result of children becoming more inactive. Obesity is having excessive body weight. This has led to an increase in the number of children suffering from preventable diseases like diabetes.

This was previously a disease that only affected inactive and overweight adults. Active children are more likely to become active adults. Parents have the responsibility to teach children the benefits of staying physically fit in order to strengthen their bodies.

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