Coaching experts Jim Kiltyand Liam Hennessyon why better movement leads to better fitness and health

FOR SOME weeks now we have been stressing the importance of spending more time in primary school, in secondary school and in our sports clubs developing better movement skills. We have said that mastery of movement skills such as running, hopping, changing direction and manipulation skills such as catching, kicking and throwing actually provides the foundation for the development of more sport-specific skills later in the teenage years.

The end result is children and adolescents with better movement skills are more likely to be better sports players and athletes. Consider the excellent all-round talent of our top athletes and sport stars and you will see that this indeed is a fair comment.

Developing a broad range of movement skills does not simply help us produce better athletes and sports people; it also benefits society in general.

In fact, recent evidence shows convincingly that children aged between 8 and 12 who develop better movement skills tend to have better cardiovascular fitness during their adolescent years. Further they have every chance of being fitter, and thus healthier, later on in their adult lives.

This is quite astonishing as it points to a connection between good movement skills in early childhood and primary school and better fitness and health later in life.

A team of researchers in Australia recently provided us with this evidence when they summarised that fundamental motor skill development in childhood may be an important component of interventions aiming to promote long-term fitness.

So what does all this mean? Well investing in greater time during school for exercise and activity is a clear requirement. Engaging in sport at local club level is another significant influence on developing better movement skills.

Also, having more qualified personnel working with and coaching young athletes is an essential requirement. Having the facilities and play areas for general play and sport is also essential.

In our current climate of childhood obesity concerns, it is more incumbent on all of us involved in sport and those in positions of authority in both education and sport to ensure that resources are channelled into sport and activity programmes in primary and secondary schools and in sport clubs.

In these recessionary times with extra effort from administrators, coaches, teachers and parents and most importantly from our youth, exercise, activity and sport can be a sound investment which will only repay us all with huge benefits in later years.

These notes are contributed by Dr Liam Hennessy and Jim Kilty of Setanta College, the Institute of Strength and Conditioning Studies. (www.setantacollege.com)