Children's Fitness
By Michele Batz
Educating the public on children's
fitness is a very serious topic with me.
Our children need to acquire the knowledge while they are young
to keep
themselves active and healthy.
How is this achieved? By educating the adults
in their lives on health,
activity and nutrition. Get parents involved in the activity along
side their
child. What a concept, family fitness right at home.
We are a nation that just keeps growing and
growing. Our children's activity
levels have dropped dramatically due to television, video games
and just plain
inactivity. This also increases type 2 diabetes among children.
We must
take an approach now and here is what you can do to help your child.
Parents need to create family time around
physical activity. For good health
and long term management, it has been recommended that adults and
children
should spend an hour each day in moderately intense physical activity.
If you
cannot achieve this, take the activity and divide it up into sections
so it
equals an hour by the end of the day.
Among activities
that are low injury risk to all family members is walking.
Everyone should wear comfortable shoes and clothing...just head
out your
door! For the first walk, keep it to 15 minutes and enjoy each
other's company.
Later on to add variety to your walks together, have a little contest.
For
example, after walking for 10 minutes (proper warm up) announce
to your family
members — "Who can walk the fastest to that mailbox?" Proceed
to walk fast to
the mailbox then walk normally for 5 minutes to allow everyone
to catch a their
breath. Than say something like — "Who can walk the
fastest to the big blue
house over there?" Little contests like this can really add
adventure to your
family walks.
Parents should avoid
the "do as I say
but not as I do" syndrome. Children
tend not to understand the importance and joy of fitness if their
parents are
not positive role models. Children love it when you are active
with them and
participating in the activity. Always lead by example. If parents
are
inactive, then it is likely that their children will be.
What other activities can you do together?
Here is a list from the American
Council on Fitness:
- Soccer — increases
agility and teamwork. To keep everyone injury free,
wear proper ribbed shoes to prevent slipping and proper
shin guards to help
avoid bumps and bruises.
- Martial Arts — with
a wide variety of forms to choose from, martial arts
are a great way to get into a sport that involves strength,
coordination and
mental discipline.
- Bike Riding — riding
a bike is a fun activity for the whole family. Experts
suggest children use
sidewalks and
paths until they are
at least 10 years
old. Show good riding skills and go over the rules of
the road with your child.
- Swimming — nothing
beats splashing around a pool with friends and swimming
offers it. It is a full body workout for both young and
old.
- Dancing — whether
your children like ballet or hip-hop, dancing encourages
them to be creative and use their bodies freely.
It is so important to get active now while
your children are young. They
will lead healthier more productive lives and they will have you
to thank by
taking the lead as parents. For more information on how to get
your children
fit, go to www.operationfitkids.com.
Until next week,
Strive to Be Your Best.... •
© 2005 Michele Batz
 About the Author
Michele Batz has an extensive 25 year career in sports education. She writes her own column for a Chicagoland newspaper and for eFitness.com and eDiets.com. Her book — What's Holding You Back? A Woman's Beginning Guide to Fitness is available through Amazon.com.
02/07/05
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