Zimpapers Logo

Coach Kelly

Fitness Correspondent

Our children are energetic and exposed to a lot different stuff. 

It is important to track how they spend their time. 

The abuse of alcohol, drugs and substances is on the rise in kids of ages even as young as six years old, and so it lies on us to encourage a healthy lifestyle in our children. 

Some kids engage in substance abuse because of being idle, peer pressure and not understanding the importance of taking care of their bodies. 

The walk and talk of deliberately keeping healthy should be had and encouraged from an early age, lest our children live an unhealthy lifestyle.

One of the best ways to avoid an unhealthy lifestyle is to teach kids the importance of fitness and exercise. Invictus Fitness Centre at Westgate Shopping Centre identified the need for fitness in children, and it offers a student subscription per month.

The offer is available for kids up to undergraduate level, and it gives access to all gym facilities and a variety of classes. 

The Students Package was curated to cater for the need of children to have regular physical activity, and also understand that they may not be able to fund this need at a regular cost. 

Regular physical activity helps children and adolescents improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, manage existing health conditions and reduce the risk of developing health conditions. 

Research also shows that healthy students are better learners and participators as their concentration increases with a healthier mind. 

A person’s confidence and self-esteem are also boosted by fitness, decreasing the chances of being bullied or pressured by peers. 

Obesity and weight challenges are avoided and controlled by exercise. 

Fitness also boosts one’s sport performance, increasing your child’s opportunities to get both academic and sporting scholarships. 

It is also important to get our children in fitness programs because they will have interactions with other children who have the same goal of keeping fit and healthy. 

They will be able to positively influence each other. 

The Students Package was also designed to help the kids realise that exercising and fitness do not have to be a task but something one can enjoy doing while getting benefits from. 

Once children learn fitness as an essential part of their lives it is easier for them to get the benefits for a lifetime.

Before you bring your kids for training today l want you to understand the importance of nutrition.

We fuel our bodies with the foods we choose to eat. 

They provide the nutrients essential for a healthy and productive digestion is the intricate process of breaking down food into its individual building blocks so that the body can assimilate and use them to sustain life. 

This process begins in the mouth, moves to the stomach then to the small intestines and finally to the large bowel. 

These are the important nutrients;

1. Carbohydrates: in a premium fuel diet the largest portion of carbohydrates should come from rich unrefined sources, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables

2. Proteins: Every cell in the body contains proteins. Tissue repair and growth require them. While almost all foods have some protein, animal products such as milk and eggs are good and rich sources together with legumes (beans).

3. Fats: these are concentrated sources of energy .We often get too much fat in our diet because we like the flavor it imparts to food .Many people would rather eat french fries than boiled potatoes. Nuts in moderate amounts provide excellent quality fats, however the body needs such fats to absorb fat soluble vitamins.

4. Vitamins: These are essential organic components of the diet, and are required in small amounts for normal growth and activity. Most occur naturally in various foods. Some are fat- soluble and others water-soluble, and when we do not have a sufficient supply a deficiency results.

 5. Minerals: these inorganic elements are vital to human health and are easily obtained from both animal and plant foods. Too little of them can lead to a deficiency

6. Antioxidant and phytochemicals: they protect the body from disease and some of the effects of aging, we find them primarily in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts

7. Cereals and grains: These should be the foundation of our diet. They include whole grain breads, pastas, rice and corn. When chosen from unrefined (not white) sources each is rich in dietary fibre, complex carbohydrates and an array of vitamins and minerals.

It is important to give your child a balanced diet, with all the essentials to complement their physical activity to build an overall fit and healthy individual.

Coach Kelly is a certified trainer at Invictus Fitness Centre, 1st floor fountain court, Westgate shopping centre, Harare. He is also working with the kids on the Invictus programme.