I substitute teach in the Elementary and Middle School levels and one of the classes I often fill in for is Physical Education. We used to call it Gym back in the day, but today it's PE. I am an active adult and love to practice what I preach and what a better way to do this then share my love of sports and play with children. The funny thing to me is that there are not a lot of substitutes out there that will not fill in for PE. It's nothing to shy away from I want to tell other subs, it's all about playing games and getting the kids moving.
I was in recently for Elementary level and I was amazed at how quickly the children got tired. I also noticed that some of the kids were overweight. The class was introducing the children to jump roping which included safety and different types of jumps. Most of the kids knew how to use a jump rope and could master the skills, but there were some that had no idea what to do. Some of this you might think is due to age appropriate development, but the class I'm writing about was a group of ten year olds.
It got me thinking, why can't a ten year old jump rope? Kids are spending more and more time on the computer and playing video games and spending less time outdoors. I remember my childhood and how I spent most of my free time outside. My brothers and I would rush inside only to eat lunch and then we would quickly get back outside to play games of tag, football, jump rope, hide and seek or other games that we made up. The only time we were interested in going into our house was to eat or sleep during the summer months. We had pogo stick jumping contests, jump rope contests, endless games of capture the flag. Whatever we were doing we were moving. When we got tired we sat in the grass and played board games or talked to each other.
According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last thirty years. The increase in childhood obesity went from 7% in 1980 to 18% in 2010. Obesity is defined by excess body weight. Overweight is defined by having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, or water or a combination of these factors. Obesity and over weight issues result from too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed. Regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence improves strength and endurance, helps build healthy bones and muscles, helps control weight, reduces anxiety and stress, increases self-esteem, and may improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
The US Department of Health and Human Services recommend that children aged 6-17 years of age get sixty minutes daily of physical activity. For children this simply means going outside and playing. Children don't need to run for miles or work out per say. Activities like bike riding, playing tag, climbing a tree, skateboarding, roller skating, jump roping etc. all count towards physical activity.
Physical activity has been proven to help with academics as it helps with focus, behavior, and attentiveness. Schools can play a huge role by offering PE programs as well as after school running clubs and activities, but I feel that is not the sole responsibility of a school. Parents must actively be involved in promoting their children to get active. Turn off the television, computer, and video games and get outside. Play with your children. You don't need a fancy gym or equipment to play. A simple ball of any type can be used in a variety of games and activities. Take a family walk, bike ride, or hike.
Healthy food choices must also be taught at school and at home. The importance of a balanced diet is also key in helping kids stay fit. Instead of reaching for the chips or crackers make sure you have plenty of fruits and veggies available for snacks and meals. One of the things that I cut out for my children is juice. Juice has a lot of added sugar and calories. At our house we drink milk and water with our meals, it is surprising how many calories you can save by just having a glass of water with your meals.
The bottom line here is get your kids moving and it will give them a great foundation for healthy living and hopefully a long life.
Tri-On,
Kelly
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