Good parents wants the best for their children. One of the best things you can do is ensure your kids get a healthy diet and plenty of exercise growing up. This can help them develop into healthier and less anxious adults.
It may take more efforts as parents to cut out unhealthy foods and ensure enough exercise your children, but it’s worth it to see them grow up into healthy, happy adults.
The good news is that recent research adds more evidence to why giving your kids good nutrition and exercise is a gift that lasts a lifetime.
Benefits of Early Life Exercise
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, has found has found that early-life exercise can reduce anxious behaviors in adults. It also led to an increase in adult muscle and brain mass. Moreover, an early-life “Western” style diet high in fat and sugar can lead to fatter adults who prefer unhealthy foods.
The research was based on young mice that were divided into four groups — those with access to exercise, those without access, those fed a standard, healthy diet and those who ate a Western diet.
After the mice reached sexual maturity, the researchers measured measured the amount of a compound called lectin in the mice. Leptin is produced by fat cells and helps control body weight by increasing energy expenditure and signaling that less food is required.
Leptin Levels
The researchers found that mice that had access to exercise in early life had increased adult leptin levels as well as fat mass in adult mice, regardless of the diet they ate.
This study was published in the journal Physiology and Behavior (May 2021).
Jumpstart Your Kids’ Lives
So it’s simple as parents to give your child a jumpstart in life. Get them to be more active and exercise more, while ensuring they get a healthy diet. Keep them away from sugary and fatty foods as much as possible. This way, your kids can grow up into healthier and happier adult.
It’s even more important today with all the COVID-19 lockdowns recently. Kids are not getting enough exercise being stuck mostly at home. It’s important that parents find ways of getting them out and becoming more active.
We only get to watch our children grow up once. Let’s ensure they get the best start in life by giving them an active and nutritional lifestyle.
