ADVERTORIAL
Helping active lifestyles C
hildren have a fundamental urge to play. Climbing trees, jumping on old tyres,
skipping, somersaulting, riding a bike… these are all fun. Active play supports physical development, and it also places great demands on the body’s sense of balance, by activating the body’s balance command centre: the vestibular system. This is linked to physical intelligence (such as where your body is in space and time, ‘proprioception’). According to emerging research, the vestibular system is also linked to positive emotions*. Children instinctively seek out active play because it feels good – inside and out. Balance bikes offer children a shortcut to that
all-round wellbeing by getting them cycling at a very young age – much, much younger than if they learn with stabilisers. Children use their feet to stop and steer, and so they have much more control. The sense of mastery, balance, coordination, agility, sensory processing skills, fine and gross motor skills, judgement, movement, speed, exhilaration… it’s all there, on those two nicely pumped up little wheels. Once children have learnt to glide, graduating
to a pedal-bike is astonishingly easy. Children as young as two can do it! Of course, cycling is intrinsically fun, and that
should be enough of an excuse for anyone to get on a bike. As John F. Kennedy put it, “Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike”. But given that we’re facing an obesity crisis, it’s
worth pointing out some of the many other far- reaching benefits. Learning how to balance helps children
improve their overall physical literacy; they are far more likely to enjoy other activities such as jumping, rolling, balancing on logs and using playground or sports equipment. Children who may previously have been reluctant to take part in other activities may develop the confidence to join in. And it’s an all-round brilliant workout.
Teachers often notice that children who walk
or cycle to school are more alert and ready to learn than those who arrive by car. Some schools lend their balance bikes out to families to use over the holidays, and this can help get entire families cycling. With active lifestyles modelled at home, children stand a much better chance of staying fit and healthy themselves, for the rest of their lives. In other words, the benefits of learning how
to cycle don’t stop at riding a bike! We see cycling as a kind of Trojan Horse. Like
the Greeks sneaking into the City of Troy by hiding inside a gigantic wooden horse, active habits sneak into children’s daily lives in the guise of a lightweight balance bike. It never fails to move us: the moment a young
child on a balance bike suddenly ‘gets it’. The moment they realise they pick up speed, lift their feet off the ground… and glide. (You can almost hear their brains go ‘Click!’). When that happens, we don’t just see a new
skill. We see the door to lifelong fun, opportunity and health being hurled wide open. We see a better future. Cycling changes lives; it’s that simple, and it’s
that profound. Fun, safe and with benefits that last a lifetime,
Balanceability is the UK's first and only accredited 'learn to cycle' programme for children aged 2½ to 6 years old. It’s a brilliant investment: not only do you get high-quality training for your own teachers, but you also get a set of balance bikes and fantastic equipment, all of which are yours to keep.
*Rajagopalan A. et al 2017. Understanding the Links Between Vestibular and Limbic Systems Regulating Emotions. Journal of Natural Science, Biology, and Medicine. 8 (1):11-15. doi:10.4103/0976- 9668.198350.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR READERS OF EDUCATION TODAY:
A free additional balance bike when you purchase a Balanceability Pack.
If you order the Balance Bag as well (full of kit for balancing exercises), we’ll throw in a second free balance bike.
That’s two free bikes!
Call us now on 01242 504525 and quote ‘Education Today’. Offer ends 31st May.
uTo find out more, go to
www.balanceability.com or call 01242 504525
April 2017
www.education-today.co.uk 33
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