It’s never too early to get your child interested in sport

[31 October 2006 - 10h36]
[mis à jour le 31 October 2006 à 10h37]

Encouraging your child to take part in sport is also a way of helping him or her to overcome shyness, of combating depressive tendencies and of channelling aggression… And it’s best to start as early as possible. From the first few months of life in fact.

At least that’s the view of Dr Guy Azémar, a researcher at the French National Institute of Sport and Physical Education (INSEP).“It’s important for a child to become active very young, so that he or she can discover what their body can do in different situations. This will give them a certain sense of ease with their body”.

Of course, it’s important that your child takes up an activity that is both challenging but pleasurable. “Water provides an ideal environment. When children are born they emerge from an aquatic environment: the amniotic fluid. They feel at ease in water. They can be placed on floating supports, such as mats”.

This will be the start of a learning process for them – the discovery of how their body moves. Water play can begin very young, at around the age of one. Your child can then begin gymnastics at nursery school or playgroup. That’s right – as early as nursery, that’s to say at around 3 years old, beginning, for example, with simple somersaults.

Physical activity and sport are in fact a vital requirement for children. In the same way as emotional relationships, sleep and food. To recap, we should remember that water play, gymnastics, climbing simple obstacles and ball games are all strongly recommended before the age of six.

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