It is an undisputed fact that young and old must strive for Healthy lifestyle. This means kids teens and adults must try to keep themselves mentally and physically fit. Children most definitely benefit from having a balance in all aspects of their life i.e. social, physical and mental by taking part in activities of various types. 
Children should be encouraged to take part in sports and games. Also those activities other than games that involve physical movements will almost have the same end results. The most common activities are
- Walks, bike rides, horseback riding.
- Summer camps, scout groups, dance groups, yoga classes.
- Collecting rocks, leaves, flowers, insects.
- Gardening, watching Birds, playing catch with a dog.
- Throwing a ball back and forth with a friend, sitting on huge balls and keeping your balance.
- Learning to juggle, stacking cups, arm wrestling.
- Flying kites, making huge soap bubbles.
- Using Hula hoops, gymnastic ribbons, dancing.
- Skipping ropes, hopscotch games, playing hide and seek.
- Enjoying in playground, playing in your backyard on swings, slides and lots of unstructured physical activities.
- Enhance the health of heart
Physical activities reduce the risk of heart diseases and stroke. The individuals who remain inactive or do not perform physical activities have almost double the risk of having a heart attack in comparison to those who remain physically active. Regular physical activities lower the level of blood pressure if an individual have high blood pressure. High blood pressure usually leads to stroke or heart attack. Regular physical activities improve health of the heart by improving the balance of cholesterol. - Enhance mental health
Physical activities enhance the mental health of individuals by relieving anxiety, stress, tension, anger and depression. Physical activities do not provide only the sensation of ‘feel good’ but also improve general wellness. Physical activities improve the flow of oxygen which directly affects the brain and prevents memory loss and dementia etc. These activities boost energy levels, improve self-esteem and treat mental illness. If you are active through activities you are likely to feel happier, more satisfied with life and have a better sense of well being. - Control weight
Physical activities help in controlling weight. It is well known fact that overweight and obesity usually lead to diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension and arthritis etc. Those who don’t perform physical activities regularly, they take more calories than are required. The extra calories are accumulated in the body. It can be controlled or reduced by burning calories through physical activities. - Reduce the chances of cancer and diabetes If you are leading a physically active life you are less likely to develop some types of cancer. Physical activities reduce the risk of developing lung cancer and prostate cancer. In addition, physical activities help in preventing diabetes. Even physical activities are better if you have diabetes. They are helpful to control blood sugar levels.
- Prolong optimal health
In the absence of physical activities, body starts losing its endurance, strength and ability to function properly. In fact, physical activities reduce the risk of early death. - Prevent bone and joint problems
Regular physical activities helps in preventing bone and joint problems. Physical activities increase bone density thus strengthen the bones. Joints can bear more weight due to Physical activities. Physical activities are helpful in treating osteoarthritis and lower back pain. Physical activity slow down the bone degeneration later in life. They also prevent osteoporosis when bone become more prone to breaking. The activities like running, jumping, skipping etc. which are termed as high impact activities, increase the bone density of children.
In conclusion it can be said that physical activities help in healthy growth and development of children. They do not become overweight or obese. Teenagers who carry a gene for obesity are less likely to become overweight if they remain physically active for an hour a day. The obese children who become obese adult later on are more likely to develop health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and arthritis etc. The physical activities thus lead the children towards good quality of life. Also see Balanced diet, nutrition, home exercises, yoga asanas and their benefits, plyometric exercises and many other health related topics at Meraki Health and Fitness. Tags benefits of exercise children development health