Being active has many benefits besides having a good level of fitness; fitness alone is a very big factor to have. Being physically active leads to the development of cognitive skills among children, in simple words, they become better at their lessons. And the more children engage in competitive sports, the faster they pick up life skills related to teamwork, leadership and being competitive. However, children need to be encouraged by their parents and guardians to engage in physical activity, especially in this day and age where there are so many options for entertainment indoors, unlike 20 years ago. And more importantly, it needs to be shown to children that being active is not a chore but actually, quite a fun way to kill time and be fitter at the same time.
Posts Tagged 'kids'
Last week I spent two days with the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) for an orientation as part of their new advisory panel. I am excited to serve as a bridge between NCHPAD’s work and the broader healthy out-of-school time movement. You might remember two of our past blog articles that included NCHPAD resources, 3 Steps to Including Kids with a Disability and Tips and Resources for Inclusive Physical Activity.
Healthy afterschool environments should be inclusive afterschool environments, right?
The National AfterSchool Association Standards for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity specifically encourage programs to train staff to “adapt physical activity opportunities to include children and youth at all levels of athletic availability and those with physical, sensory or intellectual disability.”
A study published in the Journal of School Nursing found that contact surfaces such as water fountain nozzles, pencil sharpeners, keyboards, and faucets were amongst the most bacterially contaminated in classrooms while paper towel dispensers and desktops were the most contaminated with viruses.
Doctor visits are important for anyone, but particularly for people who have a disability. It’s wise to check in regularly to prevent future complications and determine what lifestyle adjustments will provide you with the best quality of life. But those visits can take up hours to get through, and often, you have to schedule an appointment weeks in advance.
The path to success for young leaders is often one filled with surprises that only allow them to grow, both personally and professionally. And young leaders come from a variety of lanes, all merging onto the path to success. These achievements can be a graduate degree, starting a tech startup, or reaching personal physical and mental goals.
There is no pill for loneliness. So said by a friend of mine who has bipolar disorder and a visual impairment. How right he is. There are many things we can treat with pills – high blood pressure, arthritis, ADHD, headaches … but the cure for loneliness requires something much bigger and even more vital for our health: relationships.
I know we are right in the middle of the NCAA final four and basketball as a whole has many people’s attention. One of the interesting topics has been the outstanding play of the Women’s collegiate basketball team: the University of Connecticut or the UConn Huskies. With all the talk going on good or bad, one thing is sure forgotten, revolution!
Just recently, I noticed kids are not into games that actually make them go out and spread a leg or run or do something that can count as physical activity. Ask any parent about what games do their kids love to play and you’ll get a list of PlayStation games or the games they download on their phones. Only a slight percentage of children these days, are actually a part of something which can be counted as physical activity. Although being physically active is essential for children in order to stimulate their growth in a healthy manner.