MaltaToday previous editions

MALTATODAY 3 October 2021

Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1416377

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 12 of 51

13 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 OCTOBER 2021 ANOTHER study also pub- lished in the Malta Medical Journal shows that people ex- ercised more during the COV- ID-19 lockdown, but the inten- sity of this exercise decreased and so did their water con- sumption. This emerges from a study based on 995 responses to an online questionnaire conduct- ed by members of the Willing- ness Clinic. One possible reason is that since outside behaviour was limited and scarce, people wanted it more and had a high- er affinity towards it, thereby increasing the chances of exer- cise. Also, as citizens felt power- less and out of control, they engaged in activities which gave them meaning as well as self-control. Exercise may have given people a motivation in times of crisis. "COVID-19 engendered countless changes in one's life, such as job loss and death. Here a person might feel not in con- trol of his own life. Choosing to engage in more physical activi- ties may be one of the reasons people choose, to successfully cope with the traumatic event of the current pandemic." But the study also found that the intensity levels of exercise have decreased, possibly down to the closure of gyms and lack of heavyweight equipment at people's homes. The decrease of intensity was also attributed to people choosing to walk, run or exer- cise at home as their main form of exercise. The study also claims water consumption levels decreased, again reflecting the decrease in exercise intensity. Danica Cassar, Claire Bonel- lo, Kimberley Grixti, Nicole Falzon and Matthew Bartolo conducted the study, which recruited participants through convenience sampling, with the questionnaire shared on social media and collected from 16 April to 16 May 2020. COVID: People exercised more but at lower intensity LAURA CALLEJA THE return to school provides another reminder of pre-pandemic normality, but also the return to extra-curricular activ- ities that had been previously suspended due to COVID-19. Often forming part of a child's hobby that is cherished into adulthood, if not leading to a future career path, extra-cur- ricular activities support social, emotion- al, cognitive, and academic development of children, and are known to reduce risky behaviours, promote physical health, and provide a safe and supportive environ- ment for children and youth. "The benefits of being active are endless as physical activity affects both the phys- ical and mental wellbeing of those who take part. Unfortunately, inactivity also partially leads to excessive weight with all the repercussions this brings about," Rose Marie Mercieca, a Sport Malta represent- ative, said. With a considerable percentage of peo- ple never exercising or playing some form of sport, Mercieca says it is essential that children become physically active. "Prob- lems resulting from physical inactivity which appear in childhood, such as child- hood obesity, have a good chance to carry on into adulthood. It is essential that the intervention that of being active starts at an early age." As a national coordinator for Sport Malta, Mercieca rues the tendency for children to spend a lot of time watching screens – and calls for parents to inter- vene "We have to work towards an early so- cialisation into a sport in such a way that this is carried on into adulthood so that eventually it becomes a way of life. "After-school activities are a good op- portunity for youngsters to further en- gage in this much-needed physical activ- ity. Schools might offer time for physical activity during the day; however, num- bers are showing that our children are not doing enough," Mercieca said. Another view comes from Stella Maris College's Scout Group assistant group scout leader Adrian Gatt, who says scout- ing provides a different setting to scholas- tic activities where children perform en- tirely different tasks. "A normal meeting would consist of games, instruction, out- door skills, basic daily skills, working on skills badge work and also interest badges related to their hobbies." Apart from that, scouting brings with it hikes, camping, swimming, cooking, en- vironmental or cultural themed outings. "All this in a team setting where lead- ership skills are slowly taught from the tender age of four till adulthood... a skill which will definitely help them during their working age," he said. "Such after- school activities are very crucial during growing years. First of all, they should be fun activities, where learning is done by doing and not just listening. This also ap- plies to sport and dance, something that stimulates the body and mind." Afterschool activities also help children learn social skills, such as dealing and even living with different characters dur- ing a camp. "Scouts also teach independ- ence from home," Gatt said. The actor Edward Mercieca, senior principal at the performing arts school Stagecoach, says performing also gives children life skills, allowing them to mix with peers from other schools, "and opens their mind to a host of different perspec- tives and very importantly children from other social classes." Mercieca said it teaches children team- work as well as self-confidence, which they can carry into adulthood. "While performing arts is undoubtedly fun, it gives children confidence – being able to express one's self is vital, it can mean they have the confidence to raise their hand in class if they don't understand a question. Ace a job interview – these life skills are indispensable." "It's a pity that schools do not take the performing arts seriously. The arts are al- ways the first sector to suffer," he said, re- ferring to the recent problems of teaching shortages at the start of the school-year World Health Organisation (WHO) rec- ommendations for 5-17 years-old • Youths should do at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigor- ous intensity, primarily aerobic, physical activity, across the week. • Youths should incorporate vigor- ous-intensity aerobic activities, as well as those that strengthen muscle and bone at least three days a week. • Youths should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary, particularly the amount of recreational screen time. Not extra: school return marks start of extracurricular activities Scouting provides a different setting to scholastic activities where children perform entirely different tasks

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of MaltaToday previous editions - MALTATODAY 3 October 2021