WHY IT’S IMPERATIVE OUR KIDS GET ACTIVE

Shower in a Can was first thought of when our founders, Ben and Stuart, read that kids—especially girls— aren't getting involved in sport due, in part, to the fact that they don't want to shower afterwards. According to a survey carried out by the University of Essex, two thirds of girls and more than half of boys in the UK don’t shower after P.E. which in turn leads to them not fully participating in lessons because they don’t want to get sweaty.

So why is this a problem? Well, according to the latest Youth Sport Trust Impact Report, 82.5% of young people are not meeting the CMO guideline of 60 minutes of activity each day, one in three pupils in their last year of primary are overweight or obese and 27% of 10-15 year olds are unhappy. It is not hard to see the link between a lack of activity and a decline in the overall wellbeing of our young people which is why Ben and Stuart were so keen to find a way to help kids get clean and  fresh without showering.

The benefits of being active are numerous and contribute to the entire wellbeing of our young people.

1. PHYSICAL BENEFITS

Children who regularly exercise and meet the CMO daily activity requirements have healthier BMI levels than those that do not. Moreover, scientists have found a correlation between being active as a child and improved bone density and metabolic rate in adulthood, thus reducing the chances of osteoporosis, diabetes and cancer in later life.

2. MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS

According to the UK Active, Generation Inactive 2 Report “Children that participate and engage in regular physical activity

show higher levels of confidence and self-esteem, have improved sleep, and show reduced feelings of anxiety and stress, tension, and depression.”. With 92% of 15-16 year olds experiencing exam stress, getting active and doing sport is a great way to alleviate this.

3. SOCIAL BENEFITS

The UK Active report also highlighted that, “Physical activity experiences and environments also have the potential

to bring communities together, provide platforms for social integration and community cohesion, and offer hope to those feeling isolated or lonely. Play aids socialisation and provides environments where children become active and competent participants in one or more communities.” More and more young people are feeling isolated and lonely, particularly during the long summer holidays and participating in sports clubs or groups can provide a solution to this. Moreover, the fast-paced highs and lows of taking part in a game help build resilience and social skills.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT YOUTH SPORT PARTICIPATION:

1. With UK Active highlighting that the poorest children in the UK lose up to 80% of their fitness during the summer holidays, you can support Tanni Grey-Thompson and Lawrence Dallaglio in their call to  open school sports facilities during the holidays: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/03/school-sports-facilities-child-healthy-fitness-holidays

2. Sign the petition to establish P.E. as a core subject on the National Curriculum: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/255414

3. Make sure your children are spending at least an hour a day being active and model the behaviour yourself. The University of Essex study showed that pupils that participated in exercise with an adult family member outside of school were twice as likely to shower after P.E and as such more likely to be gaining maximum benefit from their P.E. lessons.

Find out more about Shower in a Can and how it is helping to remove the barrier of not wanting or being able to shower after exercise by visiting our FAQ page

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Written by Kate MacKellar-Still