Sports at YMCA - Health Benefits | Countryside YMCA

For your children, playing recreational youth sports at YMCA provides a wide variety of health benefits. Today, Countryside YMCA looks at these health benefits.

Youth soccer program

For many people, childhood involvement in recreational sports at the YMCA played a major role in both their physical development and their love for sports. Many athletes begin their careers by playing sports in YMCA programs. Recreational sports are often the catalyst for a lifelong love of exercise and physical activity, providing many long-term health benefits for children. In today’s blog post, Countryside YMCA will look at how playing sports at YMCA recreational programs can promote a strong foundation for good health.

Improves Physical Development

First and foremost, recreational sports at the YMCA promote physical development in children, especially younger children. Even if your children don’t continue organized sports into their teen years, participating in recreational sports develops hand-eye-coordination, fundamental motor-skills, and strong muscles and bones. This early development may prevent physical injuries in the future.

Parents can teach the importance of exercise and sportsmanship at a young age. A great way to start building positive physical fitness is to get kids involved in youth sports leagues and classes. At the YMCA, we offer sports opportunity to kids of all ages and even preschoolers can play. Our leagues, such as tee-ball, soccer, and basketball, start with a beginner division for ages 4-5. Flag football has an introductory league for ages 5-7. 

Our sports league and classes continue all the way up to age 14, so your child can develop their skills and physical fitness for many years at the Y. 

Promotes Active Lifestyle

Unfortuantly, living a sedentary lifestyle is easy.  Most of us have video streaming service, a smart phone, and video games at our fingertips at all times.  With all this convenience, it is easy to skip a workout. Without an active lifestyle, children may not develop physically as they are supposed to. It could also lead to health problems later in life as adults. Physical skills in younger children not only help with sports, but they are also important for later in life when it comes to tasks like driving. Playing sports at YMCA programs encourages your child to live an active lifestyle, allowing them to have better motor skills and a healthier body in general. More physical activity also allows them to avoid the negative impacts of a sedentary life, such as obesity.  

Decreases the Chances of Childhood Obesity

Data shows that nearly 1 in 5 people from the ages of 6 to 19 years old in the United States are obese. Childhood obesity in America has been consistently rising since the late 1990s, with a peak occurring in 2015 and 2016.

Exercise and diet are the two most important factors when it comes to childhood obesity. Your child’s participation in sports at the Y can help them fight obesity and develop healthy habits early in life.

One of the best ways to ensure that your child will not suffer from obesity during childhood and later in life is to promote an active lifestyle. You can get your children active and reduce the risk of childhood obesity by registering them for sports activites at the Y. 

Contact Countryside YMCA for Information on Sports at YMCA

If you are a parent looking for ways to keep your child active, YMCA recreational sports are a great solution. For more information, get in touch with Countryside YMCA or learn about our sports leagues today.