A pediatrician and a sports scientist developed a concept for schools and kindergartens that could be rolled out throughout Austria.
The number of children and young people addicted to computer games and social media has risen sharply in Austria during the corona pandemic. At the same time, the condition of many has greatly deteriorated.
Reinhold Kerbl, secretary general of the Austrian Association for Pediatrics and Juvenile Medicine, emphasizes: “We need to lead young people much more away from computers, tablets and mobile phones.” Digital terminals invest much more money in daily movement units: “As a pediatrician, it pains me when Chancellor Nehammer’s speech about the future does not mention movement at all, but programming as a compulsory subject from 5th grade.”
The head of the department for children and young people at the State Hospital Hochsteiermark in Leoben states: “As a physiological antidepressant, sport also improves the mental state.” For the past two years he has been working with sports and exercise scientist Gerald Jarnig. As a youth coach, the Carinthian has the highest possible license from the European Football Association and also works as a sports teacher.
Children can quickly get a sense of achievement
In Graz, the 44-year-old devoted his dissertation to a monitoring system for children and young people and developed a test battery. It is based on simplicity. Lay people can use a point table to immediately determine their condition. “And kids can improve themselves with simple training exercises. This progress can be measured individually. In this way, a child also gets a sense of achievement because it compares itself to itself and not to the best. Every kindergarten and every school could participate in this health monitoring.” Discussions are underway with the Ministry of Education.
Research shows that participants are fitter
Especially since the policy towards the army and police should be behind it, to promote the fitness of local young people. Because more and more conscripts or executive recruiters can no longer meet the basic physical requirements.
Jarnig: “In the context of monitoring, we have developed an innovative concept for the often required daily exercise unit. There are no additional rooms, no change to the curriculum, and no external institutions are required to run them. Data from one study region showed significant improvements in health fitness in participating children.”
Learning content is directly linked to movement
Extremely exciting: in this concept, learning content is directly linked to movement. This is possible in all lessons in which cognitive knowledge is taught. Jarnig’s conclusion, freely taken from the Irish writer CS Lewis: “You can’t go back and change the beginning. But you can start where you are and change the ending.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
