By engaging in regular sports recreation, your child can work his muscles, fill up his lungs and get his heart into tip-top shape. When you and your child settle down to select the perfect sport, consider the health benefits associated with many of the most popular options. By helping your child select a sport, you can increase the likelihood that your child makes it through his youth fit and happy.

Energetic Play

Children who seem to have a boundless amount of energy will likely benefit the most from sports that keep them constantly on the move. Activities like basketball and soccer are ideal for these children, as they have little down time and, as a result, burn tons of energy while engaging in the sport. These sports are not only physically good for your child, but also developmentally beneficial, as they require communication and teamwork and may teach your child lessons in cooperation.

Strength Building

Sports that require the child to lift or otherwise overcome resistance are effective in building the child’s muscles and developing his strength. While children engage in competitive swimming, for example, they must push through the resistant water and, in doing so, build their muscles. Competitive weight training is also a healthy sport that allows your child to increase the power of his muscles and show his physical prowess.

Burning Calories

Sports that require children to stop and go repetitively mimic the impact of circuit training, a popular workout technique. In sports such as baseball and football, your child will be required to run and stop repeatedly throughout the game. Each time your child runs, his heart rate spikes, burning calories and building his heart muscle.

Practice and Performance

While most children live for the thrill of the game, practices are just as health-building as the competitions themselves. By attending regular practice, your child participates in frequent, organized exercise. Because practices are required in nearly all sports, enrolling your child in a sport may give him the motivation and structure he needs to make his physical activity a regular thing.

Picking the Right Sport

While some sports are better than others, trying to push your child into a particular sport strictly for the health benefits associated with it will likely prove futile. When selecting a sport for your child, consider your child’s specific skills set as well as his interests. Also explore his strengths and weaknesses. By selecting a sport that is tailored to your child, you can increase the likelihood that he will willingly participate in it and that he will enjoy his time on the field, court or diamond.