DECEMBER , 2022 | THE HEALTH

BONE TO PICK

A little bit of a backstory . Growing up , I played in individual and team sports , taekwondo and hockey . These sports have given me a lot . There are obvious reasons people play sports .

The euphoria of winning a game or a tournament is the ultimate aim of any athlete . But that ’ s just the end result , not the more important process . As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said ,“ it ’ s not the destination , it ’ s the journey ”.

So , what is it you gain from playing sports ? Discipline , friends and learning a new skill to name just a few . The same definitely applies to children as well . Medically speaking , there is a lot to benefit from it both physically and mentally .

I enrolled my kids for both swimming and rugby classes . However , if I had left it up to my kids , they ’ d choose to laze around at home over going out on the field and running around . And they would do so in a heartbeat .

Developing confidence and a stronger personality

Being out and about , sweating it out , will reduce the risk of obesity as they burn calories doing so . Furthermore , it also improves their general cardiovascular health . Active kids also tend to grow better .

Their muscles are more developed and their bones stronger . Being under the sun helps with this as well . Sun exposure helps with Vitamin D absorption , leading to stronger bones . Balance and coordination of a child is also developed when they participate in sporting activities .

It is said that having a healthy mind is just as , if not more important , than having a healthy body . Being involved in sports certainly helps with this . A child will grow in confidence and develop a stronger personality .

A shy kid may start to be more sociable and the mischievous little

Former NST journalist Philip Choo trains six-year-old Ayngaran at a tennis court in SS2 , Petaling Jaya .

Randal Reeves trains Dylan , who lives in Portland , Oregon with his Malaysian parents .

fellow may start to follow instructions better . For me personally , it offers a great opportunity to observe how my kids socialise with other children , as it ’ s only during sports that I get to see this , as opposed to school , whereby it ’ s mostly behind closed doors . The best benefit of all ( for parents ) comes at the end of the day , when it is lights out time , the kids are usually tired and sleep better at night .

Physical and mental development

Like any other thing in life , playing sports , for children in particular , may be a double-edged sword . There are many questions you ask yourself . Is this the right sport for your kid ? Are they having fun playing ?

As stated earlier , the goal should be aimed towards physical and mental development . Not being able to properly participate in certain types of physical

Dr Jonas Fernandez is an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Putrajaya Hospital . He is also a member of the Malaysian Arthroscopy Society ( MAS ).

Siblings Emily , 5 , and Jaden , 7 , train at Cobra Club every weekend .

The euphoria of winning a game or a tournament is the ultimate aim of any athlete . But that ’ s just the end result , not the more important process . As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said , “ it ’ s not the destination , it ’ s the journey ”.

sports might do more harm if the child isn ’ t ready or interested in it . Their confidence could also take a hit if they are stuck on the sidelines in team sports .

So , this brings me back to the crossroads . There are obvious medical benefits from partaking in sports , however , there is a balance to be struck as well . How do we know when to push and when to hold back ?

I suppose there is no straightforward answer to this as every child is different and should be treated as such . At the end of the day , his or her overall wellbeing must be considered first and the journey should be enjoyable . – The Health