In the last fifty years, the health of both adults and children has steadily declined. Many children, from preschoolers to adolescents and especially those living in big cities, spend almost all of their time in front of the television, or else playing video games or doing homework. How can you keep your child healthy and make sure they don’t suffer from respiratory diseases, weight gain or heart conditions?

All you have to do is move out of the house and onto the playground!

You don’t need to build a dedicated area or drag furniture or other household goods out onto the street. You just have to show your children the joy of outdoor games.

Why are outdoor games so good?

There are a few reasons why a child should play outdoors every day.

The first is to correct posture. A child is growing every day, steadily increasing in height and, as a result, in weight. The gradual weight gain increases the pressure on the spine and joints. Supporting the spine requires strong back muscles, capable of upholding the growing bones. Running, jumping and playing sports (catch, volleyball, basketball and soccer) strengthens the muscles, helping keep the spine in a straight alignment.

In particular, when a child runs to toss a ball over a volleyball net, they not only stretch the spine but also assume correct posture. Buy your son or daughter a volleyball set and put it up in the backyard or, if possible, in an open area in a park. Let your kids play, run around, take in the fresh air and unwittingly train their muscles. This has an overall positive effect on the child’s health and helps form core muscle tissue.

The second reason is to prevent cardiovascular diseases, anemia, blood and musculoskeletal system diseases, and obesity or weight gain, as well as forming a long term desire for daily outdoor activity. Try active games like bowling (alone or as part of a team) and different scooters that children will find interesting to ride. Every day when your child hops on their scooter, a light load is applied to their cardiovascular system, which gradually grows accustomed to it.

If your son or daughter is new to outdoor games, they may face sudden strain on the heart and core muscles. These physical steps may be hard for a child’s body to tolerate, so it is necessary to exercise every day, which is even easier when exercise takes place in game form.

The third reason to play outdoor games is that it provides you with a unique opportunity to interact with your kids, getting familiar with their personalities and dipping back into your own childhood for an hour or two. Playing with your child also relieves the worries you have accumulated over the course of the day. Spending those wonderful moments with your child will delight you both. Notice how much joy you bring home after a weekend outdoors, and the kinds of things you dream of after long walks outside: flying kites, interesting fireworks, and games in sandboxes or on the beach!

So feel free to play with your kids, letting them play outdoors, socialize and run around. It’s the only way to make a child’s body strong and to emphasize the need for a healthy lifestyle for decades to come.