If you have a child, it is inevitable that they will get physically hurt at some point in their lives. It might happen when they’re little and they fall from the play structure at preschool. Maybe it won’t happen until they’re older and they get injured playing soccer, or doing gymnastics. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but I can assure you, it will happen.

You need to be prepared.

As a parent, my primary goal is to keep my Ayva safe and healthy. If I could cover her in bubble wrap every day before she leaves the house, I would. Since I can’t do that, and since she insists on practicing the cartwheels, handstands, and walkovers that she learns in gymnastic every chance she gets, I’ve had to become an educated sports parent.

Gymnastics is an individual sport that relies a lot on upper body strength. All of the muscles from the waist up have to work really hard to allow Ayva to do all the fancy tricks she’s learning on the bars and in floor routines. While it is a very physical sport, I recently learned that it’s missing a component of aerobic exercise that’s also important for a growing girl to have. In a recent article on the Stanford Children’s Health site, Dr. Meghan Imrie, clinical assistant of pediatric orthopedic surgery states that kids should try activities other than their main sports. Switching up their routine helps prevent overuse injuries, and makes kids more well-rounded athletes. That sounds good to me, and my budding little gymnast!

Stanford Children’s Health is a pediatric healthcare network with over 60 Bay Area locations. They believe in family-centered care and work hard to give parents the tools to raise happy and healthy children. Basically, they’re the type of partners a mom who drives from one activity to next, day after day, needs to have to know for sure that she’s making the right choices for her family. As exhausting as it is to set up carpools, wait in parking lots, and go to games, exhibitions and exhibitions, it’s all worth it because we know how important it is to our children’s well-being.

Whether your child is on their way to becoming a professional athlete, or they just like to run around for fun, stay in tune with their bodies to help keep them healthy. A great resource for parents of student athletes is Stanford Children’s Health in the Bay Area. Learn more about Stanford Children’s Health on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Stanford Children’s Health. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Stanford Children’s Health. The opinions and text are all mine.