IT’S easy to worry about childhood obesity and associated health problems given all the scare stories in the media of late.
But the good news is that regular exercise teamed with a healthy diet is the perfect formula to keep youngsters fit, fabulous and full of energy.
And since performance has become one of the more entertaining ways to break into a sweat, Rebound Dance has become the after school activity du jour.
Through working in partnership with schools and other organizations, this educational group inspires youngsters to explore and develop their creativity in order to improve their fitness, self-esteem and interaction skills.
“The latest approach to promote good health is to switch off the TV and let children dance and discover the buzz of performing in local venues and theatres,” says organiser Jacqui Birchall.
Next month, dozens of children will showcase their talents with the performance show Light On Your Feet at the Liverpool Olympia, West Derby Road.
“Involvement in such events increases confidence and leaves the performers with a real sense of achievement, not to mention the benefits of being much healthier,” adds Jacqui.
Recent studies have found that physical activity such as dance helps reduce children’s risk of certain conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
“Also, dancing helps teach kids countless other skills – everything from co-ordination to concentration,” says John Marsden, from health campaign group Liverpool Active City.
“And new research shows that dancing regularly improves your neuromuscular function – meaning that the brain gets more effective at sending the right messages down the neural pathways to the muscles, so co-ordination naturally improves.”
