I was excited and honoured to join Darren Harris; Author, Speaker, Coach and most capped England blind footballer, on his inaugural podcast ‘Unblind The Mind’.
Darren’s Podcast is aimed at people who want courage, inspiration and determination to tackle life’s biggest challenges – something Darren possesses in spades.
In first episode we explored exercise and activity with an emphasis on how both are important in particular for children and the younger generation. The conversation covered what motivates us both to make the changes we need to improve children’s wellbeing and quality of life – and frankly life chances.
Physical activity is foundational to a functioning brain. We like to quote Professor John Ratey at Harvard University who says, “Physical activity builds the brain, so teachers can fill the brain”. A variety of physical activities for children is the most powerful route to helping them achieve their potential and learning ability.
The first episode covers an array of vital topics such as:
- the dangers of inactivity,
- the importance of fair competition and confidence,
- the consequences of lockdown,
- how inactive parents can help themselves and their children, looking at some fascinating studies about physical health and its effect on how our brains work,
- How active learning can provide serious support to learning (ask Jon Smedley at TeachActive for more on that!).
It’s hard not to have this type of conversation without talking about some really shocking stats – for example, did you know that inactivity kills more people than smoking does in this country? This is one of the many reasons why physical activities sports need to be promoted more in schools to children, and why we as parents and adults should be more honest with ourselves and recognise our norms have changed. All physical activities are beneficial, from dance to martial arts to netball and basketball.
50% of fathers of obese children will think their child is an ‘alright size’ with 33% of mothers reporting the same. Giving our children the opportunity to go out and experience things themselves is vital to our development of understanding the effect of exercise and learning.
Darren’s podcast series will be delivering life-changing insights from his interviewees. Many of his guests will be people who are dedicating their lives to keeping active and explaining the benefits for parents and young people alike. Each episode is 30 minutes long so it won’t distract you from your day-to-day work.
Michael Ledzion, Chief Sportivater
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