Vietnamese children are lazy and addicted to games

According to Minh, climbing stairs takes a lot of time, making him tired and exhausted. "Climbing stairs and exercising is like torture," Minh shared. "At that time, I could enjoy a meal in an air-conditioned room in the hot weather." His favorite habit is to lie on the couch and glue his eyes to his favorite TV show every day.

At school, Minh has 15 minutes of physical education each week. However, he always studies reluctantly, and his test scores are just enough to pass the subject.

Like Bao Minh, Hoang Bao, 15 years old, is also a lazy boy. Every morning, he is taken to school by his father or by motorbike taxi. Bao's study time takes up 12 hours a day, leaving him no free time for sports activities.

"I mainly spend my 30 free minutes playing games to relax," Hoang Bao shared.

During exam season, physical education classes are cut back to make room for other important subjects. Teachers only teach basic exercises because the school does not provide enough equipment to practice advanced exercises.

The story of Bao Minh and Hoang Bao is typical of the lack of exercise of many other boys and girls across the country, especially in big cities. In the morning, you usually only see old people exercising in the parks, there are few young people.

A survey by Stanford University, USA, in 2017 said that Vietnam is among the countries with the least physical activity in the world. The average person only walks about 3,600 steps a day, compared to 4,000 steps in the Philippines, 5,800 in Korea and 6,200 in China.

According to a study by the Ministry of Health, about 30% of the population does not receive the WHO recommendation of at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. In addition, about 46% of secondary school students and 39% of primary school students in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City do not get enough physical activity according to the standards.

These alarming figures show that physical activities at school and at home are not given much attention by teachers and parents. Ms. Vu Thu Huong, a primary school physical education lecturer at the Hanoi National University of Education, said that many Vietnamese parents also do not invest time in physical activities for their children. They often focus their time on subjects such as English and Math.

According to a study by the Ministry of Education and Training, about one-third of Vietnam's 80,000 physical education teachers teach without any professional training. The quality and quantity of physical education teachers are declining sharply, lacking knowledge and skills in guiding students in sports activities. The curriculum is mainly theoretical and lacks practice. In addition, infrastructure for sports is not focused on. About 80% of schools do not have their own gyms and 85% of professional sports training facilities are lacking.

Along with the current situation of children with little physical activity is the appearance of many fast food chains and harmful drinks. As a result, Vietnam has become one of the countries with the highest diabetes rate in Asia. According to the Vietnam Diabetes and Endocrinology Association, an estimated 5.5% of the population between the ages of 20 and 79 has diabetes.

The obesity rate in Vietnam is still generally low compared to other Southeast Asian countries, but this rate is changing negatively. Research from the National Institute of Nutrition shows that in 2015, about 50% of children in Ho Chi Minh City and 41% in Hanoi were overweight, while this figure in 1996 was only 12%.

Authorities are calling on people to walk 10,000 steps a day to ensure good health and regular physical activity.

According to Associate Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Nguyen Vo Ky Anh, Director of the Institute for Educational Research and Development of Human Potential (IPD), motor skills appear very early. The period from 0-13 years old is the golden age for children's brains to develop and perfect if they are regularly stimulated with appropriate activities.

During exercise, the heart works more actively, blood carries more oxygen and essential nutrients to nourish the body parts. Thanks to that, the brain also works effectively. Activities such as exercise, walking, jogging, tug of war... all contribute to stimulating the growth of neurons to nourish the nerve joints, increasing the ability to remember for a long time and absorb. Therefore, schools and parents should focus on children's physical activities.

A 2015 study by the College of Sports Medicine (USA) showed that students who exercise a lot often achieve high academic results. Of 317 children who play sports, the group that exercised a lot achieved 30% better test scores than the group that exercised less. Scientists recommend exercising 30 minutes a day, maintaining a regimen of exercising 3 days a week to improve health and increase brain activity.