St Louis GNS …An Active Community!
Our whole school community in St Louis GNS continue to ensure that our pupils keep active and healthy during break times. We promote a variety of activities including hula hooping, skipping, basketball, handball and Gaelic. Our classes have ‘Brain Breaks’ each day. These can include movement breaks in our classrooms as well as outdoors. Brain breaks have many benefits. Along with the main benefit of helping us focus, brain breaks can help us feel calmer. Getting up and moving can help us relax and refocusing. This is essential to help us accomplish and achieve our potential and also can also help boost our confidence and self-esteem. Many classes are also engaging with the Daily Mile Initiative which is excellent for improving fitness levels, while boosting positive mental health.
Why get active?
Did you know that four out of five children in the Republic of Ireland are still not getting enough exercise, posing serious risks to their health and wellbeing? We know that the effects of inactivity are frightening but there is no doubt that regular physical activity has huge physical and mental benefits for our younger generation. The benefits of being active for physical and mental health are huge. Being active helps release chemicals in your brain (endorphins), which have a positive effect on your mood, not to mention the benefits to your heart, lungs, muscles and bones. Getting out and being active is also a great way to manage stress.
10 Health Benefits
Physical activity helps a child to…
- Improve agility, balance and co-ordination.
- Feel more energised – endorphins are released into their bloodstream during activity.
- Feel happier, by reducing feelings of stress, anxiety and depression.
- Burn and generate more energy.
- Improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
- Maintain healthy weight.
- Prevents sickness and illness because physical activity can help build a healthy heart, develop strong muscles and bones and may help reduce the risk of some chronic diseases that may occur in later life.
- Improve concentration.
- Improve self-esteem and helps them feel good about themselves.
- Develop friendships.
(www.getirelandactive.ie/Children)