Regarding the increasing rate of childhood obesity in the U.S., the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that doctors put obese kids as young as two on intensive, family-based lifestyle and behavior plans. It also suggested giving weight-loss drugs and surgery to children. Yet the recommended lifestyle programs are expensive and hard to maintain.

Rather than that, we need to invest in more and safer places for children to play. Studies show clearly that moving more helps both physical and mental health. In 2020 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found, unsurprisingly, that kids’ sports participation increases with their parents’ incomes.

Children between 6 and 17 should get at least an hour of physical activity every day. Yet only 21% to 28% of U.S. kids meet this target, surveys found. Why is it so hard to get kids moving? In addition to fewer opportunities at school, researchers list increased screen time, changing norms around letting kids play outdoors, and a lack of safe places for them to play outside. Lower-income neighborhoods tend to have the fewest public play spaces. And although rural areas have more undeveloped outdoor space, they often lack playgrounds, tracks and exercise facilities.

Kids everywhere need more places to play: trails, skate parks and climbing walls, gardens and ball fields, bike paths and basketball courts. Public funding to build and keep up these areas is crucial, but other options such as shared-use agreements can make unused spaces available to the public. Only 10 percent of U.S. schools let people into their playgrounds when school is out, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) found, and opening up these spaces would give 5.2 million more children access. “Play streets”— residential streets or parking lots that are temporarily closed for activities — are another affordable way to give kids more chances to run around.

These opportunities aren’t about changing children’s waistlines — they’re how we keep childhood healthy and fun.

Why You Shouldn’t Exercise to Lose Weight

Many of us are starting (or restarting) exercise in hopes of losing unwanted pounds. Aiming to be more active is good. But if the main reason is to lose weight, your New Year’s resolution could be very well backfire.

【小题1】, we often sour on it and stop working out. In a study of 30 overweight people who participated in a 12-week exercise program and were interviewed afterward, this response was typical: “It was quite disappointing that I didn’t lose a single pound.【小题2】.”

Perhaps the biggest problem with exercising to drop pounds is that it turns physical activity into punishment—a price we have to pay for a slimmer body. How many times have you heard someone say (or said yourself) “I’ll do extra exercise” after eating too much during the holidays or at a celebratory dinner?【小题3】. As a consequence, we’re unlikely to enjoy it or to keep doing it.

The takeaway is that we see exercise positively and actually do it when we focus on our well-being rather than our weight. For some, the motivation may be an improved mood or less stress. Others may find exercise makes them feel physically and mentally stronger.【小题4】. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, colds, etc. It can also improve sleep, make you energetic, and prevent aging. What’s more, exercise can prevent weight gain and improve your appearance.

【小题5】. It’s perhaps the most important thing you can do for your health. But to improve the chances of success, focus on how movement helps you feel better physically and emotionally—and forget about how it moves the needle on the scale.

Sports offer so many great benefits not only to our physical health but to our mental health. 【小题1】. So allow me to help you count the ways:

·Playing sports improves our mood.

Any form of physical activity excites the release of chemicals called endorphins (脑内啡), which make you feel happier and more relaxed as well. This explains why you feel so great after playing a pick-up game of basketball or throwing a football. It doesn’t have to be an intense session. 【小题2】.

·Playing sports gives us a promotion of confidence.

【小题3】, which can be extremely rewarding. These goals might be to win the game, to score agoal, to perform your best, or to simply have fun. Whatever the case, setting these team or individual goals can provide heightened feelings of self-worth and confidence.

·【小题4】.

Exercising regularly can improve skills like critical thinking, learning, and concentration abilities. And on top of that, engaging in physical activity such as playing sports or cycling may help prevent development of certain cognitive disorders (认知障碍). So pick up a bat, a ball, or a glove and get out there!

·Playing sports provides means for socialization.

Playing team sports provides the perfect opportunity for social interaction. It allows you to spend time and bond with old friends, as well as meet new ones! 【小题5】, whether that should be volleyball, football, hockey, gymnastics, or any others. You’ll harvest many health benefits and have fun doing it.