Screen time leading to weak cores in children

Updated: Jan 31, 2022

Now more than ever kids are moving less and spending far more time in front of their screens which is leading to weak cores and an inability to carry out basic tasks with good posture such as walk, stand and sit. Pilates for kids is a fun way to exercise and strengthen the core muscles. Core strength refers to the balanced development of the muscles in your abdominals, pelvis, lower back, diaphragm and around the hips. It is the ability of all these muscles to work together that enables us to stabilise the body during movement. Strong cores are the building blocks for developing gross motor skills and fine motor skills, and if your child has a weak core it is difficult for them to maintain a stable base enabling coordination of the arms and legs. Pilates is a low intensity form of exercise and place minimal strain on joints. It places adequate weight on bones leading to bone formation and strengthening for kids. Deep stabilizing muscles need to work and leads to good posture and alignment.

If your child has poor stability, you may notice that your child:

Cannot remain upright in a chair
Leans on walls/people/things - using gravity to help them
Has difficulty with carrying out both fine and gross motor activities
Has difficulty with dressing/undressing

Possible reasons why kids have weak core muscles:

Smaller homes - less space for kids to run around
Two parents working - less time for parents to be with kids
Lives are busier and there are more distractions in our lives
Safety is a greater concern - parents need to facilitate exercise
Kids typically no longer walk or ride their bikes to school
SCREEN TIME - said to be the best babysitter for busy parents and busy lives!
Kids are sitting longer than ever and lacking movement.

Here are some useful tips you can do with your child home to help make their core stronger:

Sit up, Lung and twist, Walking on all fours (and then adding lifting the knees off the floor), Pelvic Curls/Bridging, Planking, Crab Walking, Leg lifts, walking along a rope line, creating obstacle courses, swinging, twister (holding static posture), Soft play (uneven surface)

In a pilates class we focus more on exercises to strengthen the core while encouraging play and fun:

Hundred, Single leg stretch, Double leg stretch, Criss cross, Roll up, Rolling like a ball, Spine stretch, Spine twist, Side leg lifts, Swimming, Cat stretch, Upstretch, Superman pose - lying on abdominals and lifting arms and legs off the ground, Rest position (sleeping snail)
Bouncing – on trampolines/bosuball
The Wheelbarrow – hold the child in a wheelbarrow position and encourage them to walk their hands forwards. Ensure they keep a straight posture and do not allow them to sag in the middle.
Kicking the ball (with both right/left leg)
Catching the ball
Pilates/Gym Ball – there are many simple exercises that the gym ball can be used for but simply just sitting on it and maintaining an upright posture is a good start.

There are many benefits for kids to do Pilates:

Builds strength, endurance and flexibility
Increased muscle tone
Stabilisation
Good posture and alignment
Increased capacity to focus and concentrate
Physical and mental health
Longevity - good movement patterns for life
Pain-free movement
Pilates gives a child a sense of achievement.

Whether your kid is a sporting, dancing, moving, inactive or has special needs - Pilates is for them (and you!).

Pilates exercises for you to try with your child below: