For the past two weeks I have been around the Currie Gym much less often than usual. Normally I am in that building for a number of reasons: school, working, working out, playing sports or watching other people play sports. However, until Christmas break I will be spending a considerable amount of time in the gym of an elementary school in Westmount. Currently, I am part way through a 7-week student-teaching field experience that is a component of the third year of McGill’s Physical Education program. It has been a lot of fun so far, and I am really enjoying working with the students and teachers at the school.
I am a firm believer that adults have a lot to learn from children. Being surrounded by kids all day has started me thinking about the differences between how children and adults view sports and exercise. The following list is a summary of these thoughts: what I believe we can all learn from children about physical activity and sport.
1. Child Belief: Fun is the most important part!
Kids definitely know what they like to do! They come into physical education class or to their team practice looking forward to having a good time. If it’s not fun, chances are they will not continue to participate. (Unless a pushy parent says otherwise… but that’s a whole different issue).
Adult take-away message: You should enjoy your athletic pursuits!
- Why do people give up on their exercise programs? Why do athletes quit teams? Because somewhere along the way, the sport or exercise stops being fun. It is important to choose an activity you enjoy if you hope to become a life-long exerciser. Hate running? Try taking a class such as zumba or yoga. There are literally hundreds of ways to meet any exercise or health goals you may have. For competitive athletes, if you ever lose enjoyment and become stressed out on a consistent basis while participating in your sport, you should probably re-evaluate your reasons for doing this particular activity.
2. Child Belief: I always want to be on the same team as my friend!
- Although this is not always possible, kids know that playing is more fun with friends.
Adult take-away message: Find an exercise buddy or join a team with a group of friends!
- It is almost a 100% guarantee that you will have more fun if you exercise with someone whose company you enjoy. You will challenge and motivate each other, and hold one another accountable for getting out of bed early in the morning. Team sports are also infinitely more fun when your team mates happen to be a great group of people.
3. Child Belief: I should go all out, then stop. Then go all out again!
- This is true for young children especially. They run around like a bunch of mini Usain Bolts for a short period of time and then they walk. They repeat this pattern hundreds of times over the course of a physical education class. By the end of the session they are exhausted enough to sit still in their French lesson.
Adult take-away message: Interval training! Do it!
- This is an excellent way to stress the cardiovascular system. Whatever your fitness level, you can benefit from this method of training. Intervals can be done while walking, running, biking, swimming or even strength training.
4. Child Belief: I want to play a game!
- Children don’t “work out.” They play! And most of them end up getting a great workout without even realizing it.
Adult take-away message: Play while you work (out)!
- There are so many ways to play and get a workout in at the same time. From soccer and hockey to dancing, crossfit and competitions such as the Spartan Race, playing can and should be a part of everyone’s fitness regime.
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5. Child Belief: When my team scores, I should be running around yelling in celebration!
- The other day in class we did the beep test. As the students dropped out one by one, they sat down on the bench and cheered for their classmates without being told to. While the last student was running, the entire class was cheering him on as he pushed himself to his own personal limit. When he finished, everyone ran out to congratulate him.
Adult take-away message: Celebrate achievement!
- Athletics are an area of life where it is often easy to measure our improvements and our success. Whether it is running for 10 minutes longer than you ever have before or scoring the winning goal, be proud of yourself and happy about your accomplishment.
That’s what I have learned so far from the 6-12 year-olds I have been teaching for the past couple weeks. I will try to think of my students next time I’m not feeling motivated of excited by my exercise program or athletic activities. I hope you will too!
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