Finding the right balance of “active” in kids can be a challenge. While we want kids to keep physically active and experience the world through discovery, a child’s body also needs time to rest to allow for growth and repair, which is why a healthy nervous system that allows for the right balance of active and inactive in kids is so important.
In both adults and children, the nervous system is responsible not only for movement, but also for emotion, learning and memory. While the brain and spinal cord develop in utero, the finer development of a child’s nervous system takes place in the initial years of life, considered largely developed by the age of five.
Physical activity in a child is controlled by the nervous system. Crawling, walking, running, jumping, climbing and exploring. All types of movement contribute to the development of not only fine and gross motor skills, but also to the important task of building bones as well as strong, healthy muscles.
While we know muscles get stronger the more we use them, the same goes for bones. Bone is living tissue that changes constantly, with bone remodeling a dynamic process that occurs continually through specific bone cells, osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts are responsible for the breaking down and removal of mineralised bone, while osteoblasts are responsible for the formation of the bone matrix by mineralising and laying down new bone.
For most of us, the amount of bone tissue in the skeleton, also known as bone mass, peaks by our late twenties, by which time bones have reached their maximum strength and density. Up to 90 percent of peak bone mass is acquired by the age of 18 years in girls and 20 years in boys[1], making the early years the best time to prioritise physical activity and bone health for not only adulthood, but also for older age.
Healthy nervous systems and healthy bones are closely related and require the key nutrients magnesium and calcium to support their proper functioning, and in turn, healthy active kids.
While calcium is one nutrient parents are often aware of, magnesium is commonly overlooked for its importance. Did you know that magnesium is needed for calcium absorption, highlighting why it’s so important to ensure a balanced intake of all nutrients. Herbs of Gold products can help support your young ones when their dietary intake of calcium and magnesium may not be meeting all their requirements.
Herbs of Gold Children’s Magnesium Care is a child-friendly chewable tablet containing organically bound forms of magnesium that are well absorbed in the body. Children’s Magnesium Care supports both nervous system health and bone health in children.
Herbs of Gold Children’s Calci Care is a delicious strawberry-vanilla flavoured tasting chewable tablet, providing calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 for healthy, growing bones.
[1] Xue, S., Kemal, O., Lu, M., Lix, L. M., Leslie, W. D., & Yang, S. (2020). Age at attainment of peak bone mineral density and its associated factors: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2014. Bone, 131, 115163.
