After School Physical Activities

Physical activity can have a profound impact on a a child's emotional and physical health, which is especially crucial as childhood obesity becomes more common. Increased exercise has been shown to help children maintain a healthy weight and improve self-confidence.

There are various after school programs designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and increase sportsmanship in youth. Physical activity has been shown to reduce body fat percentage or excess body weight in obese children and youth and encourage children to carry their healthy habits over into their adult lives according to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Scholastic Sports

• There are numerous scholastically coordinated sports students can participate in. Many schools have football, basketball, track, cheerleading and cross-country teams that students can join. School sports programs require practice several nights per week and as many as three games per week during the sport's season, which means that participating students will get plenty of exercise throughout the week. Running, jumping and calisthenics are activities common to most sports programs. In addition to physical benefits, scholastic sports provide opportunities to develop lasting friendships with teammates.

  These teams teach students sportsmanship and provide an opportunity for exercise. In many cases, sports teams are a huge part of the school and community, so participants are sure to get some experience in socialization as well. Unfortunately, these teams are often chosen by try-out, so some students will be excluded. Before trying out for a sports team, students must be approved for physical activity by a doctor who will examine their fitness level and ability.

Community Sports

• Community sports like Little League baseball or AYSO soccer leagues provide kids a chance to be a part of a sports team outside of scholastic sports. Although some programs require a tryout, most teams are open to any eligible child. These programs help students to make friends with kids their age who live in the same community, but who might not attend the same school. This connection is especially helpful in the transition to middle school or high school. Often, students from several elementary schools will attend the same middle school, so it is helpful for kids to be familiar with some of their new classmates when advancing to a new school. In addition to competitive games, teams will need to meet for practice before and during the season. These programs will usually provide children with 3-4 months of physical activity, such as running, kicking, jumping and throwing. These physical benefits will also assist children in the development of cognitive skills and prepare them for classroom and other team situations.

Swimming

• Swimming is a full-body workout that can supplement the physical activity your child misses while on summer break from school. Whether your child takes lessons, swims competitively, or swims just for fun, he will be getting cardiovascular fitness training, improving strength and endurance, and keeping his body flexible, according the website Effective Water Fitness. Unlike other physical activities, swimming engages all the major muscle groups to provide complete training for the body. Water provides a weightless environment for exercise, which reduces heavy impacts with the ground that are common in other sports.

  Swimming also provides great mental benefits, such as stress relief, to the swimmer. The repetitive strokes, long laps, synchronized breathing pattern and underwater silence can help to free the mind from distractions. Reducing stress will help your student focus better in the classroom.

Gymnastics

• A great alternative to scholastic sports programs is enrollment in private gymnastics lessons outside of school. This is a great way for children to develop friendships with children outside of the school environment. Gymnastics lessons aren't restricted to aspiring Olympians, in fact, it is an excellent way to get kids off the couch while learning the discipline of a challenging sport. Gymnastics combines floor tumbling, vault, uneven parallel bars, balance beams, pommel horses and rings for a full-body workout.

  In addition to physical benefits, gymnastics education can positively impact a student's performance in the classroom. "Gymnastics and early childhood movement education are directly attributed to developing neurological pathways in students and promoting reading readiness," according to the United States Elite Coaches Association for Women's Gymnastics. The discipline required to master gymnastics can teach students to be disciplined in their studies as well.

  The downside to these activities is that you usually have to pay for them, although organizations such as the YMCA offer assistance to low-income families. Suitable alternatives to gymnastics lessons include dancing or martial arts; all three activities work the entire body and increase flexibility.

Neighborhood Games

• Sometimes parents don't have the money for their students to participate in scholastic or private sports, but they can still provide children with opportunities for physical activity at home. Set a schedule for the family to take a walk together every day. Organize a neighborhood basketball league to get neighborhood children active. Draw a hopscotch square on the sidewalk or ride bikes together. Children in rural areas can get physical activity by helping with tasks like loading firewood, helping on farms or running through the wilderness. Neighborhood parks are the perfect setting for a variety of physical activities, from softball games to tennis, from swinging to games like "Red Rover." It doesn't matter what physical activity children do. The most important thing is to get kids outdoors and in motion because a healthy childhood can lead to a healthy adult lifestyle.