A lot of exercise in childhood is essential

Year after year, they deliver the most emotional moments during the "Get active days" at the Salzburg Marathon - the approximately 1,700 children and young people who express their enthusiasm for movement and commitment as part of the Get active Junior Marathon and enjoy a wonderful running experience. For many, it is their first appearance at a sporting event.

Project with a lot of commitment and support

Behind the "Get active" junior marathon is the largest initiative for children and exercise in the province of Salzburg. State school board member Johannes Plötzeneder is a strong supporter. The initiative is very important to the organizing Club RunAustria, which is why free pre-registration is made possible for all children and young people who don't want to miss out on this fantastic running experience. The dedicated effort begins long in advance. Trained sports teachers and students visit schools throughout the state that are interested in the "Get active" junior marathon and carry out movement units in the gymnastics lessons using specially created lesson plans. Through this and with their participation in the "Get active" junior marathon, children and young people should be taught the beauty and pleasure of running. This inspires youngsters to exercise more in the long term.

Exercise is essential in childhood

It is easy to understand that a lot of exercise in childhood is essential for the development of young people. Because it is in the nature of children to move. Unfortunately, modern social conditions such as city apartments, mutual professional obligations of parents or the oversupply of modern and digital technology massively slow down the children's natural urge to move.

Sports science repeatedly draws attention to the importance of regular exercise in childhood. A recent and very interesting finding comes from Norway. Scientists from the University of Trondheim have found out on the basis of a long-term study with around 800 participating children that a lot of exercise in childhood can not only prevent depression in later life, but can even prevent the onset. Study director Tonje Zahl warns doctors, parents and social policy to ensure an environment that enables children to exercise.

Austria's youth move insufficiently

A current study by the market research institute (IMAS) also shows how important initiatives such as the “Get active” junior marathon are today. As the Kronenzeitung reports in its February 25 edition, almost half of adult Austrians are of the opinion that Austria's children do not get enough exercise. The majority of the more than 1,000 respondents named the main reasons for this as the technical progress of the last few years, with which today's children and young people are growing up and dedicating a large part of their free time to them. They also criticized the fact that many parents did not act as role models, which the renowned Viennese sociologist Otmar Weiß emphatically confirmed in an interview in the Kronenzeitung.