Roisin Sullivan, BSc(OT), Occupational Therapist, The Kids Coach
Core strength and muscle endurance is important to allow kids to perform all the activities they are required to do daily, such as carrying school bags, walking, running, catching, playing outside, fine motor tasks and even sitting still throughout the day at school. It overrides everything children do, and then overrides everything they will eventually do as an adult.
As occupational therapists, we see an increasing amount of children being referred for “poor core strength” by their teachers, family and doctors. Unfortunately, in today’s era of children not being as active, there is an exponential decrease in their core strength too.
The core muscles are essentially all the muscles between the back and the abdomen, up to the shoulder and down to the hips that work together to help you child stay upright and move well. When they’re strong, they give your child a nice, stable base to work from.
When those core muscles aren’t strong, we start to see:
Once kids improve their core strength, things become easier for them. They can complete school tasks easier, excel a bit more in their sports activities but most importantly, their “play” becomes easier and more enjoyable.
So how can you improve your child’s core strength?
The key is to make it fun so they not only enjoy doing it, but continue to do it.
Activities that can help improve core strength include:
The Kids Coach helps to build strong core muscles in kids aged 2-18 years of age, with fun, regular workout and fitness sessions, with super convenient videos. You can find more about The Kids Coach or get a free trial here.