Sometimes, because of safety concerns, we’d rather keep our children cooped up at home than playing outdoors. But children have a lot to gain by spending time outside every day. When you see him reaching for the remote control or the gaming console, shoo him out—his immunity foundation would thank you one day.
- Regular physical activity helps strengthen your child’s immunity. Moderate exercise appears to cause immunity cells to circulate in his body faster. This enables them to reach and kill bacteria and viruses more quickly. It is also linked with a boost in the creation of white blood cells, which defend the body from infections and diseases.
- Overprotecting your child could compromise his immune system. His body needs to be exposed to harmful organisms for it to learn how to defend itself. By keeping him too squeaky clean, his system may be overwhelmed by ordinarily harmless substances like dust or pollen.
- A physically active child is less likely to be obese. This helps him avoid obesity-related health problems such as diabetes, heart diseases, and gastro-intestinal diseases, among others.
- Exercise strengthens your child’s muscles. It also keeps him very flexible.
- Your child gets more exposure to the sun and natural light. This is believed to stimulate the production of Vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a role in fighting off depression and helps the body better absorb vitamins and minerals.
- Spending time outdoors with friends, basking in the sun and breathing in fresh air can give your child an emotional boost, too. Exercising causes the brain to release happy hormones called endorphins, which make a person feel good. Remember, stress can weaken your child’s defense against sickness.
- Playing outside with peers develops your child’s social skills. Plus, it helps spark his imagination!
Letting your child rough it up outside for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day will help boost his immunity foundation. Just make sure you keep him protected by giving him sun block (to avoid sunburn), mosquito repellent (to avoid dengue), or other safety gear like knee pads or helmets (for biking or any sport). Here’s an idea—why don’t you join your child outside? Play a game of catch or tag. Or revisit games like patintero or sipa. Or simply bike around the block together. That’s wonderful bonding time with great health benefits for you and your little one.