Inspired! - the next generation of athletes!

Like many of us, I felt a little sad when watching the London 2012 Closing Ceremony, overcome by a feeling of 'what next?'. This, together with a recognition of the fact that I will never be an Olympic athlete (unless they start a 'veteran's category'!), left me feeling a bit blue.

However, it is important not to dwell on the negative. As one of the Gold medal winners pointed out, whilst there is a huge anti-climax felt after striving to achieve success for the last four years, it is essential to move on. After a few days rest I'm sure  the athletes will start their training for Rio 2016!

What is inspiring is the recognition that we need to be encouraging our youngsters into the world of sport and exercise. Recent research carried out by Mintel found that 1 in 3 youngsters are suffering from back pain at any one time; reflecting the research carried out by the British Chiropractic Association in 2008 which revealed that 45% of children had suffered from back pain by the time they were 11! With nearly half of 6-15 year olds spending the majority of their spare time watching TV or playing computer games, it is likely that this lack of exercise may well contribute to their back pain.

So, I hope that we will continue to encourage our kids to get involved and participate in sport. It will doubtless make us a healthier, fitter nation and hopefully will ensure that we can repeat the success of London 2012 in Rio! I smiled the other day when I was told the tale of someone's 3 year old granddaughter,  who has decided that she is going to practise her swimming 'really hard' so that she can get 'a shiny 'Lympic medal'. However, she won't wear her 'scruffy tracksuit' when she takes her place on the podium, but will wear her favourite party dress - after all, 'it IS a very special occasion!'.

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