5 tips to get kids moving again
Your kids don't have to join expensive sports teams to get exercise.
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Children just aren’t as active as they used to be.
A recent report from Active Healthy Kids Canada — a national organization dedicated to the improvement of fitness in youngsters — found only five per cent are getting the recommended amount of physical activity and just 28 per cent of children walk to school.
Catherine Cameron of ParticipACTION, a federally funded body which promotes physical activity for Canadians of all ages, puts a lot of the blame on electronic devices that many kids can’t seem to put down. “They come in the door after school, grab a snack then start playing games or watching videos,” she says. “There’s a happy medium but all the studies say kids — and adults, too — are using them too much.”
She says when attempting to become active sometimes “simple is best” and advocates a back-to-basics approach.
Canadian guidelines call for children to get 60 minutes of physical activity a day but there’s no need to join an expensive sports team to make it happen. Some of these recommendations from Cameron — ParticipAction’s Active Living Ambassador — may help families get moving.
1. Play Kids need to play more. After school is optimum as it may help break that reliance on electronic devices for entertainment. Play isn’t rocket science. When given the chance, it should evolve easily and naturally. It often starts with: “I have a good idea ... ” A park or playground or a simple green space is all it takes. These oases are meant for exploring; trees are meant for climbing, sprinklers are meant for running through and mud puddles are meant for stomping. Invite friends for a game of tennis at the community court or try a long bike ride.
2. Make family time active time Set aside a regular time to play as a family every day. The dinner dishes can wait — get outside for a walk with the dog, a trip to the park, a visit to the community pool, or to ride bikes in the neighbourhood. Stepping outside for five minutes can easily turn into a half-hour of active play or more. Shoot a few baskets in the schoolyard or blow up a beach ball and play some backyard volleyball. If the kids aren’t “into” it, ask them to suggest an activity.
3.Older Kids Teens need plenty of active play, too. Encourage your kids to shoot hoops with friends after school, after dinner and on weekends. Bike riding provides teens with “wheels” of their own, a little independence, and some fantastic physical activity. Encourage older kids to walk to school, to friends’ homes and to the mall. Encourage them to accrue the volunteers hours they require for high school graduation in an active environment.
4. Track it Buy your child a pedometer to wear and encourage them to strive for at least 10,000 steps a day. You might also equip your child’s bicycle with an odometer to help them track the distance they bike in a day, week, month, or throughout the year.
5. Dress for success Encourage your children to dress in clothing and footwear that sets the stage for fun in all weather. Running shoes, rain boots and a rain jacket, and warm winter gear with lots of extra pairs of mittens. As well, fill backpacks with equipment that promotes play at school recess and lunch breaks: a soccer ball, skipping rope, chalk, Frisbee, basketball etc.
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