Our responsibility in social sedentarism

Edited by Dr. Stephanie Crozzolo

" first part

Here is the vicious circle of those who do physical activity:

Sport, therefore, inside and together with the school prepares for life, but if at school physical activity is increasingly reduced or in some cases even absent and parents do not understand the importance of playing sports, because perhaps they themselves have never done it, who will give today's children this education or lifestyle ???? it is important that this education starts as a child. "fertile ground" to cultivate in order to create a solid base on which to build later. School has its responsibility but this battle must be shared and carried on also by parents, to whom, however, it must be motivated and argued.

As a gymnastics teacher and instructor in various sports, I believe that children should experience sport first and foremost as an "opportunity to play in which they begin to deal with rules; the instructor's task is to give these rules and channel "instinct and energy" in a specific direction that allows him to enjoy the beauty of the game, making the game itself become an "opportunity for growth as well as entertainment. In this way the child" collides "with the reality in a "family" dimension, he therefore learns that not everything is due to him and that in order to enjoy the fun given him by the game, he must also be able to make some sacrifices, such as standing in a queue and waiting for his turn to make a path .
I am often asked which sport is the best, there is no one sport more suitable than another, the important thing is to avoid specificity and the selectivity, also because early specialization can create considerable physical damage. In this sense, the figure of the instructor is fundamental, it is important to verify the seriousness and values of the sports club, being wary of those who want to create baby athletes. It is important that children have the opportunity to try different motor experiences, then as they grow up they will spontaneously orient themselves towards a "sporting activity that can be practiced in good shape. amateurish, pre-competitive or competitive; thus passing from play to fun and from this to passion.
We avoid pouring on children the reflection of our expectations, we do not decide the sport for our children. The frenetic pace of life that we live often makes us choose sports or pastime activities that coincide rather with traveling by car or in the city. One "last thing: choosing the activity", we let the passion live spontaneously, avoiding, as parents, to be excessively present in the sporting life of children. Sport must first and foremost be fun.

In my experience as a mini basketball instructor, I often see children who, after an "hour of physical activity, find their parents waiting for them with a huge Nutella or sliced sandwich, or with a pizza or packaged snacks, all foods definitely not necessary, given that after an hour we have dinner. Not so many years have gone by but I remember that my mother always gave me a different fruit and water to drink and I never made a scene about it. harsh and embarrassing words, because they don't have the snack they wanted and they feel like parents who increasingly comply with their children's requests. 6 years must do his "job", as well as the parent who must guide him in his growth path, giving him the example and being the one who decides what is right and what is not, obviously motivating his choices. There are parents who worry that their children always drink gatorade after exercising because on television they say it is important because it has minerals. Unfortunately, if once these cases were the minority, now they have become the majority, so it is understood how necessary, in addition to specific work at school, an information campaign on lifestyles, nutrition education and the role of great responsibility entrusted. to parents and of which they need to be aware.

Below these sentences illustrated in the black box summarize the common affirmations related to food that you will surely have heard or said sometimes and that should make you think because, indirectly, they convey a message that can be very dangerous. After the war, due to food deprivation, there was a normal emphasis on food; I remember my grandparents: they were happy and proud when I ate and they encouraged me to do so. Today, despite the fact that we have all the food we want and can find it anytime anywhere, the habit and the worry that food is never enough has remained.