Knowledge
Badminton can prevent child myopia!
Badminton is a sport for all and is really easy to learn. All you need is a racket, a shuttlecock and an opponent and a fun game can be played on a playground in your garden, in a park or even in a lane or alley.
Badminton can help prevent 5-9 year olds from developing myopia!
Experts say:Badminton is one of the best eye care sports
Badminton doesn’t just increase muscle strength of the four limbs and improve coordination, because children keep their eyes on the shuttlecock as it is hit to and fro as they play, viewing it at different distances, playing can also prevent myopia!
A smash by a top player is travelling at over 300 kmh when it leaves the racket. The average players won’t hit so fast but the sport of badminton is still characterized by the shuttlecock flying back and forth at speed.
The ages 5-9 years are the key period that decides whether a child will have good or bad vision
The ages 5-9 are the key time in the development of a child’s eyes, however because in modern life computers, TV, smart phones, tablet computers etc are now part of everyday life, many young children come into frequent contact with “electronic screens” and excessive exposure damages eyesight. This is the main reason why children today are more susceptible to myopia and amblyopia than in the past.It is thus very important that children between the ages of 5 and 9 years of age engage in a sport like badminton that exercises their eyes to help them maintain good eyesight..
When playing badminton, a child’s eyes will naturally follow the shuttlecock as it flies back and forth at speed. When the shuttlecock approaches at speed the eye’s ciliary muscle will naturally contract and the ligamentum suspensorium in the lens within the eyeball will loosen and expand depending on its own elastic curve, thus increasing the diopter and allowing us to see the shuttlecock’s position clearly
During an exchange of shots in badminton, a child’s ciliary muscle, lens and ligamentum suspensorium will be exercised and this will have real benefit in terms of preventing myopia and amblyopia.
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How to arouse a child’s interest in playing badminton
The following steps can be tried:
1. Choose a suitable racket for the child
Using a specialized racket will help increase the quality of a child’s return shots, and, as they play better, their self-confidence and liking for the game will increase.
2. Hold family games and competitions
When they first start playing, a child may miss the shuttlecock when attempting to hit it because they have yet to develop hand, eye and racket coordination. At this time, a parent can “feed” the shuttlecock (gently throw it towards the child) and show them how to hit the shuttlecock gently up into the air with the racket face to nurture their feel for the shuttlecock.
When the child has grasped this, whole family lob competition can be held in which whoever hits the shuttlecock up the most times continuously wins.
There are many fun games for developing badminton skills-fanning into the shuttlecock tube competition !
3. A parent acts as the “serve machine”
After a child knows how to play lobs a parent can stand 3-5 meters away and throw the shuttlecock at the child and have them hit it back, gradually increasing the frequency of change in the direction the shuttlecock is thrown. This will allow the child to learn various postures and return shot methods.
Taking a step by step approach to developing a child’s liking for badminton will not only protect their eyes and strengthen the muscles of their four limbs, it also allows the whole family to have fun playing together. So, if your child is five years old, encourage him/her to pick up a racket and play fun and healthy badminton with you!
