As our nation’s obesity numbers continue to rise among adults, they are not the only ones suffering. Our children are suffering from astronomical obesity numbers as well as a substantial increase in juvenile diabetes. The school system has decided to reduce the amount of physical activity by decreasing the amount of gym classes available in a week due to time constraints. The problem is that our IQ scores are not increasing and actually since the decline of physical activity their is a direct correlation in how IQ and test scores have dropped. There are a number of studies that show how crucial physical exercise is in a child’s intellectual development, yet we choose to drop the gym classes. The process is rather mind-boggling that we know physical exercise increases test and IQ scores yet we put no effort to making them a mainstay in a child’s curriculum.
The issue of obesity not only affects a child’s health, but another result is an increase in bullying in the school system. Bullying is not only related to obesity, there are a number of other things a child can be bullied for. As a parent, I have a hard time comprehending why you would want your child to have to suffer in school because they are inactive or out-of-shape. I think most parents want the best for their child, however some do not do enough in the way of helping their child achieve a healthy lifestyle. It has become far to easy to go through a drive-thru nowadays, versus when I was a kid we actually had a family dinner time. Gone also are the days where kids from the neighborhood get together, play sports, and don’t come inside til it’s dark out. The new regime is kids come home from school and play on a multitude of electronic devices, conversing and not really having any face-to-face interaction. I thought it would be a good idea to give parent’s some ideas on how to keep your child active even if they are not in a school-related sport or activity. Here are some suggestions:
1) Hit the playground for instant active play. Most kids can’t help but move their muscles when faced with a tempting array of climbers, swings, and slides. Sandbox play counts too; all that digging and scooping is great for the arms. Mix things up more by:
- Bringing some extra toys (balls, kites, jump ropes)
- Meeting another family and playing together
- Playing obstacle course—chart out a wacky route and see who can do it the fastest
- Trying out a new playground to check out its offerings—anything different from your usual outings?
2) Teach Backyard Classics. Recruit a few neighborhood kids to join in, or just play as a family. Remember Red Rover, Tag, Dodge Ball and Four Square? Inside, try get-moving games such as Twister and Hullabaloo.
3) Have some good clean fun. Tackling housework together is more fun than doing it alone, takes less time, and gets everyone up and moving. Older kids can vacuum and mop; littler ones can dust and wipe. Everyone can help sort laundry or move it from one machine to another (extra points for hanging it outside on the line!). Outside, take on sweeping, raking, weeding, digging, or watering chores together.
4) Host a dance party. This works indoors, outdoors, anywhere, anytime. All you need is some current music. If you start shaking your groove thing, your kids will clamor to join in unless they are teenagers then they will run and hide. For extra incentive, bring out some dress-up items for props (filmy scarves, silly hats, or feather boas are perfect).
5) WALK. Take a family stroll after dinner (try a walking game for more active play), walk to school and back, take your dog for a walk around the block, do errands on foot or park at the far end of the parking lot. Consider outfitting the whole family with inexpensive pedometers, then tracking your steps together. Set goals and reward yourselves with a family outing (bowling, batting cages, etc.).