Children not getting enough exercise: report

A UK report suggests that kids are not getting enough exercise to stay healthy. Here's the article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8015875.stm

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in Britain. Kids don't seem to be as active as they once were. Parents are afraid to let them out to play, plus there's other distractions for the kids too - video games, mobile phones, excessive homework, and so on.

Martial arts are a great activity for children, especially those who don't excel at school sports. I was never much cop at sports in school until my final year, after I started doing Taekwondo. Martial arts offer a good way of helping kids gain confidence.

At the moment I'm reviewing my kids' training syllabus to make it more freestyle-oriented and engaging for them to keep training. It's not a sellout nor is it dumbing down, but you have to tailor your syllabus for the juniors. It isn't enough to remove "dangerous bunkai" (ha!) Children have different needs and need to be coached in a manner suitable for them.

I don't think the lack of choice is a valid excuse for kids not exercising. There are plenty of dojos, dance classes, junior gyms, scouting organisations etc to choose from. Much of the time it's down to parents being too lazy to bother getting their children involved. It's too easy to plug in the playstation and leave 'em to it. (Hey, if your kids are going to have video games at least get them a Nintendo Wii, so they have to move around a bit!)

Social groups like karate clubs offer additional benefits because they offer the social aspects too. Children get to meet kids from a different part of town or a different school, and there's organised training for them. In a good, safe club where instructors have the necessary insurance, and child protection policies you can't go wrong.