Resistance exercises or free play in function of preschool children inactivity prevention

Abstract

Over the past last decades, in most developed nations, opportunities for children to play, especially to play outdoors with other children, have continually decreasing causing many related health problem such as obesity and decrease of muscle strength. Muscle strength is considered as a powerful marker of health in children and adolescents. For adequate and balanced children development some form of resistance training is highly recommended as a part of regular daily activities. Exercises with bands comprised of elastic material that requires muscle force have been documented as a safe and effective strategy to improve the muscle strength and increase the ability to perform functional tasks in various frail populations with low initial level of muscle capabilities. The benefits of structured physical exercise programs in young children are not well defined in the literature. The decontextualized, repetitive movements performed on devices and machines are not suitable for young children, even thou possibility of performing functional movements allows the stimulation of functional motor patterns against resistance in different planes. The game is a sociocultural phenomenon, because it concerns the set of human activities and ambitions, presenting an infinite quantity and variety. With eminent characteristics of the game, a free action, within a social context and a set of rules, prevailing the symbolism to the reality and that promotes fun and pleasure in accomplishing it presents an irreplaceable part of preschool physical activity. The benefits of structured physical exercise programs involving elastic band for very young children have to be incorporate only as a part of preschool physical activity with a lot of attention on basic principles, safety and fun.