Self-esteem is a term used to describe your feelings about your own worth and importance when compared to other people. Children may develop negative feelings in this area, especially when they have significant weight problems. Participation in regular exercise helps boost self-esteem and improve psychological health in both normal-weight and obese children.
Children and Self-Esteem
During their preteen and teenage years, children undergo tremendous body changes as the process of puberty takes its course. Because of these rapid changes, children often become self-conscious about their appearance and compare themselves negatively to their peers, as well as to cultural and social norms created by advertisers and other adults. Obese children, who weigh a minimum of 10 percent more than the recommended amount for their body type and height, run an even greater risk for developing poor self-esteem, as well as psychological problems such as anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
General Exercise Findings
When children exercise regularly, they improve their self-esteem and make significant gains in self-confidence, the American Heart Association reports. These emotional and psychological benefits come in addition to the physical benefits of exercise for children, which include reducing risks for diabetes, improving weight control, lowering blood pressure and increasing blood levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol. Children who exercise also have a greater likelihood of continuing to exercise as adults. Current guidelines recommend that children and teenagers participate in some form of physical activity for at least one hour every day.
Obese Children
Obese children who exercise regularly experience considerable increases in their self-esteem even if they don't lose large amounts of weight, according to a study conducted by the Medical College of Georgia. Although children in the study who exercised for 20 minutes a day experienced some improvement, greater improvement was found in children who exercised for 40 minutes a day. These results indicate that exercise can be recommended in "dosages" that have varying levels of effect on self-esteem and its related psychological and emotional problems.
Considerations
Common physical activities appropriate for children include aerobic exercises such as brisk walking and biking, muscle-building activities such as pushups and gymnastics, and bone-strengthening activities such as running and jumping rope. Children may naturally prefer fun activities that have an exercise component over strict, adult-like exercise routines.
The only group of children that did not experience self-esteem improvements in the Medical College of Georgia study was black adolescents. Although the study's researchers are unsure of the reason for this finding, it may be linked to a generally greater acceptance of high body weights in black communities. Ask your doctor for more information on the self-esteem benefits of exercise for children.
References
- KidsHealth; The Story on Self-Esteem; Nov. 2008
- KidsHealth; Encouraging a Healthy Body Image; May 2009
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Obesity in Children and Teens; May 2008
- American Heart Association; Physical Activity and Children; February 11, 2011
- Science Daily; Regular Exercise Reduces Depressive Symptoms, Improves Self-Esteem In Overweight Children; Medical College of Georgia; March 18, 2009
- Journal of Pediatric Psychology; Exercise Effects on Depressive Symptoms and Self-Worth in Overweight Children...; Petty, Davis, Tkacz, et al.; Jan. 16, 2009
