The healthy physical and mental growth of a child has always been a topic of greatest concern to parents. How is his athletic ability developing? Mentally healthy? How to avoid food additives harming children?

Only when children love sports can they be successful

Physical exercise can not only enhance children¡¯s physical fitness, but also improve their attention, memory, execution and living abilities. It will bring them lifelong benefits. Parents must pay attention to it and work hard to cultivate their children's love for sports.

First, improve concentration and memory. For children under 14 years old, exercise can improve their attention and memory, both of which are very helpful in improving their learning ability. Studies have found that moderate-intensity physical exercise, especially table tennis and volleyball, has a significant promoting effect on children's attention.

Second, improve execution ability. Participating in 40 minutes of physical activity has the best effect on improving children's executive functions. Executive ability is easily ignored by parents during the growth of children. Executive power is a high-level cognitive function, which is the process by which the brain controls and regulates various resources when completing complex tasks. Children who are over 1 year old have executive functions, and they are close to adults around the age of 12. Executive functions not only play a key role in children's brain development, but also have an important impact on mood. The primary school period is a rapid stage of children's brain development and a critical period for developing executive ability. Research has found that physical exercise can significantly improve children's execution ability because children can learn to control their behavior during exercise.

Third, develop exercise habits that will last a lifetime. Sports not only move the body, but also allow children to establish a healthy physical and mental connection. Children with good exercise habits and knowledge will be better able to take care of themselves and establish a positive attitude towards life in their long life ahead.

Children should not engage in three types of sports too early

1. Long-term endurance sports. Before the age of 6, it is not suitable for long-distance running, mountain climbing and other sports with a one-time distance of more than 2,000 meters; between the ages of 6 and 12, it is not suitable for hiking for more than 2 hours. The energy metabolism level of children's respiratory system, circulatory system, and muscle system is low, and the oxygen supply capacity cannot keep up with the consumption of such exercise.

2. Long-term static exercise. Handstands, weight lifting, zhama steps and other exercises in which the limbs remain stationary or do not move significantly. This form of exercise keeps the muscles in a state of tension and exertion. The children's muscles are underdeveloped, which is likely to lead to muscle strain in the long run. At the same time, this kind of movement will compress the spine, lumbar vertebrae, and thoracic vertebrae, affecting the growth and development of children. For example, most children who started weightlifting earlier do not grow taller. A very important reason is that long-term static pressure causes the cartilage involved in the child's height development to calcify in advance, making it difficult for the child to grow in height.

3. Equipment movement. Dumbbells, barbells and other common equipment in daily life will cause the body to be stimulated with great force. Children's muscle groups will not be fully developed, and excessive stimulation is not conducive to growth and development. Breath-holding is often associated with static exercise and strength exercises. Holding a child's breath can cause intrathoracic pressure to rise sharply and hinder venous blood return. Performing such exercises too early is not conducive to the normal development of children's cardiopulmonary function.

The most suitable sports for different age groups

Younger children should choose sports with more balanced requirements on the human body, such as swimming, judo, etc., to develop a good all-round Basics of physical fitness.

In adolescence, you can choose fine motor sports, such as table tennis, badminton, basketball, etc. These projects can enhance the physical fitness of teenagers, make their thinking quick, exercise endurance and explosive power, stimulate bones, promote height growth, and prevent myopia.

Smaller is better: roller skating. The younger the child, the easier it is to learn roller skating. You can start learning at the age of three or four. Children are small in weight, relatively flexible, and can easily control their balance.

After 3 years old: swimming. After the age of 3, you can go to the paddling pool to develop interest. After the age of 6, you can start swimming training with breathing rhythm. Pay attention to mastering the correct movements and do as little breath-holding exercises as possible. The swimming distance should be gradual, 200 to 300 meters.

Before 5 years old: ball games. The "ball" is a moving object that can stimulate vision, exercise reaction ability, promote the body's control of fine movements, and improve body coordination. For infants and young children who are in the period of rapid growth and development, ball games are a more comprehensive exercise.

Before 12 years old: sprinting. You can practice 50-meter sprint running before the age of 12, and you can practice 400-meter or 800-meter running after the age of 12. Exercise should emphasize fun, such as serpentine running or relay running.

Seven tips to cultivate children¡¯s self-confidence

In life, many parents have this experience: watching ¡°other people¡¯s children¡± be generous. , but his own children are obedient and shrink back at critical moments. Even some children always have negative emotions when looking at things around them. It's like wearing dusty glasses, looking at things or yourself and always feeling dissatisfied or wrong. Why do children lack self-confidence and how to cultivate it?

1. Update the concept. A child is a "three-dimensional person" with N aspects, and grades cannot always be used as the only criterion to measure their success or failure. Growth is more important than grades. In terms of learning, parents should give more positive encouragement to their children. A democratic and relaxed atmosphere is conducive to adding points to their children's self-confidence. Parents may wish to listen to their children's ideas in academic studies, and discuss and solve problems together when their grades fall behind, instead of sarcastically and ridiculing them.

2. Cultivate talents. "Poetry and calligraphy come from within". Parents should cultivate their children's talents based on their children's interests and hobbies in literature, art, etc. Being versatile will enrich their children's hearts, and their confidence will naturally follow.

3. The gathering was successful. Parents should focus on their children's past successful experiences and extract positive factors from their successful cases in life, study, making friends, competitions, etc. to cheer up their children and help them form positive psychological cues.

4. Dig ¡°exceptions¡±. When a child shows a lack of self-confidence in a certain aspect, such as fear of speaking in public, parents can find "exceptions" and relive the scene where he was not nervous and received praise from many people during a certain speech, and use "exceptions" to let the child see himself. It's not that bad. Guide the child to think further: "How did you do it at that time?" Gradually let it overcome the psychological barriers.

5. No comparison. It's unfair to your child to compare your child's shortcomings with the strengths of others. The correct approach is to compare the child with the past. As long as there is progress during this period, you should be happy for him.

6. Interfer less. Parents should encourage their children to take the initiative to make friends, but do not need to interfere too much in the interactions between children. Some children find it boring to play with peers and prefer to play with older children. Some children feel frustrated when playing with older children and feel that their abilities are inferior to others. Therefore, it depends on the actual situation of your child, and you cannot forcefully screen your child's circle of friends based on your own preferences.

7. Insufficient acceptance. We must accept our own shortcomings and poor family circumstances. Some shortcomings are innate and cannot be changed, but you can accept them calmly and coexist with them peacefully. You can make yourself better in other aspects and use your strengths to make up for your weaknesses. Parents should provide more loving support, always listen to their children's suggestions, and spend more time with their children to prevent them from feeling lonely.

Six types of additives can affect children throughout their lives

1. Bisphenol compounds. Bisphenol compounds such as bisphenol A are mainly used to harden the linings of plastic containers and metal cans. Common items containing such additives include plastic baby bottles, plastic water cups, take-out lunch boxes, canned food inner wall coatings, barreled water containers, etc. . Bisphenol A has potential reproductive toxicity and has a similar effect to estrogen in the human body. It can interfere with the normal sexual development of children, easily lead to precocious puberty, and affect the nervous system and immune system. At present, China and EU countries have banned the use of bisphenol A in children's bottles, sippy cups, and mineral water bottles. Fang Zhifeng, director of the Guangxi Nutrition Society and a food safety and hygiene expert, suggested that it is best to choose safer bottles and cups made of glass, silicone and other materials; do not use plastic tableware to hold food or heat it in the microwave; and eat as little canned infant food as possible.

2. Phthalates. This substance is a plasticizer used in industrial production to make plastic and vinyl pipes more flexible. It can affect the normal development of the genitals of boys, lead to premature development of girls, and increase the risk of childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease. Excessive exposure to phthalates also increases the risk of testicular cancer in men and breast cancer in women. In 2017, the United States banned the use of phthalates in child care products such as teething chews. Other items containing phthalates include toys, food packaging materials, shampoo, shower gel, mousse, nail polish and other personal care products. Experts recommend that toys for infants and young children should be chosen from regular manufacturers with greater safety and security to minimize children¡¯s exposure to inferior plastic toys, stationery and other supplies.

3. Perfluorinated compounds. This compound is oil-, stain- and water-resistant and is often used in products such as food packaging, non-stick pans, and waterproof gloves. Dangers include reduced immunity, birth weight and fertility. Studies show that perfluorinated compounds may also affect the thyroid, metabolic, digestive and other systems, and are also detrimental to muscle control, brain development and bone strength. Long-term exposure to the substance also increases the risk of metabolic syndrome in obese children and reduces the effectiveness of vaccinations. Experts recommend using less waterproof and oil-proof food packaging and using less products containing perfluorinated compounds.

4. Perchlorate. This chemical additive is a new type of pollutant that is mainly used to prevent dry foods such as tea, fruits and vegetables, cereals, meat products, certain milk powder or rice noodles from generating static electricity. Its hazards include disrupting thyroid function and seriously affecting the normal brain development of infants and young children. Excessive intake of such additives can easily lead to developmental delays and lower IQ. Experts recommend ensuring that children drink healthy water, not letting children come into contact with fruits and vegetables that have not been thoroughly washed, and choosing high-quality and safe baby milk powder and baby rice cereal from big brands.

5. Artificially synthesized pigments. Synthetic colorants (artificial pigments) are more vivid than natural pigments, are less likely to fade, and are cheaper. Therefore, they are widely used in a variety of processed foods such as juices, beverages, desserts, and biscuits. Multiple studies have found that commonly used artificial colors such as amaranth, carmine, lemon yellow, and sunset yellow can aggravate the symptoms of ADHD in children. After strict control of artificial colors in the diet, the symptoms of ADHD children were significantly reduced. Experts recommend that when purchasing food, you should read food labels carefully and try to avoid processed foods containing artificial colorings.

6. Nitrate and nitrite. Such compounds are mostly used to preserve and add color to food, and are most abundant in cured and processed meats such as cans, sausages, hot dogs, bacon, ham, and bacon. Excessive consumption of these chemicals will interfere with the production of thyroid hormones, affect the blood oxygen transmission capacity in the body, and increase the risk of gastric cancer and intestinal cancer. Experts recommend that children eat less canned food and processed meat; for the health of mothers and babies, they should eat as little food containing nitrates and nitrites as possible during pregnancy.

A few suggestions for avoiding additives

Buy more fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables and reduce your intake of processed meat.

Try to avoid using plastic containers to hold food or drinks, avoid microwave heating, prevent harmful substances from entering the food, and try to avoid putting plastic products in the dishwasher;

Use glass or plastic containers as much as possible Stainless steel replaces plastic products.

Avoid plastic containers with recycling codes 3 (phthalates), 6 (styrene) and 7 (bisphenol).

Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling food, and wash all unpeeled fruits and vegetables thoroughly. (People's Health Comprehensive Life Times)

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