Guest Blog : Go Out and Play

​My generation is addicted to our mobile phones. The perception of elders is that we have a lack of human interaction and only stay indoors. Most adults wish for the use of the mobile phone to be restricted. What people don’t realise, is there is more to our generation than what meets the eye.
 
Sport and exercise is an integral part on our curriculum and we have time dedicated to it. We are exposed to a wide range of sporting activities, both indoor and outdoor designed for all levels of expertise. Apart from physical education and games periods, we have both lunch-time and after school activities which are run and supported by both students and staff. As the use of mobile phones is banned in school, as a result of which many people keenly participate. Some of us, being interested, take every opportunity to hand and get involved in many things. Some, of course are more competitive than others and show great enthusiasm in team selections and sporting trials.
 
The sporting and exercise field is where we make many new friends. We arrange to meet in gyms, pools and fields carry out activities together. We think that this is safe and parents often do not mind. In fact, they support this. Although we didn’t start doing this from a health and lifestyle perspective, we now know that these activities are good for our well being.

​My passion is water sports. I swim in two clubs, SCUBA dive and in the summer go kayaking. For my parents and I, sport is as important as academics as it is in this field we develop key skills like endurance, determination, concentration and goal setting. Though the weather in the United Kingdom is not always reliable to do outdoor activities, we make the most of it by performing indoor activities. My friends and I take every opportunity to meet up and have fun. As we all have different interest, we are introduced to many different perspectives of exercise.
 
It is very important to get involved in sport and exercise from a very early age, because later it becomes very difficult to adhere to our goals and make it part of our lifestyle. We always encourage peers to try new exercises and join our frequent trips to the gym.
 
Though, we are accused of being a mobile only generation, I believe that this is a myth and we are extremely eager to have fun outdoors, play sport and exercise. I wish to take this opportunity to make people in my age group aware that exercise is a very important aspect of life, and if me and my friends can do it, why cant you?! I do understand that everyone will be champions and professionals in sport, but you never know what you are capable of. So, go outside, there is a beautiful world waiting for you.

Author - Rona Bhattacharya is a 11-year-old school student in the UK. She is an avid blogger, published author and poet.She is an accomplished dancer and singer.She is an endurance swimmer and a PADI certified SCUBA diver. She has been the Sports Ambassador of her school and won the Excellence Award for being the best student. Being very conscious of social issues, she has organised fundraisers and has swum 22 miles, the length of the English Channel in the swimming pool for Diabetes UK to raise awareness for children with diabetes. She is a keen actress and has performed in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

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