Celebrating Family Health and Fitness Day

Celebrating Family Health and Fitness Day

with advice from Josh McDonald, OTR/L, MS
and Mark Salandra, CSCS

Americans young and old have been gaining weight and slowing down. A report on physical activity and health from the U.S. Surgeon General’s office in the late 1990s found that “nearly half of young people aged 12-21 are not vigorously active on a regular basis” and that more than 60% of adults aren’t as active as they should be.

(A more recent study in 2010 didn’t show any improvement, finding that only 15% of high school students achieve the recommendations set by the CDC for physical activity.)

These findings led to the creation of Family Health and Fitness Day on September 28, a celebration marking its 17th year in 2013 that celebrates activity for the whole family.

Why is this something Americans should commemorate? “Staying healthy as a family provides motivation to all members, and it increases support for the members of the family that are not as motivated for physical activity,” says Mark Salandra, CSCS, the founder of StrengthCondition.com (one of Physiquality’s partner programs). He adds that daily physical activity should be as routine as brushing your teeth or any other healthy activity you do for your body every day.

Activity expert Josh McDonald reminds parents that every action is a lesson for children. “If we want our children to value healthy and active lifestyles, then we need to model those choices for them,” says Josh, an occupational therapist at Kid’s Place, a clinic for children run by Arizona Orthopedic Physical Therapy (a Physiquality network member with two locations in Arizona).

He encourages parents to make good choices for the entire family. By turning off the television and taking them out to play catch, by enrolling them in sports and camps, or by gathering everyone for a bike ride, parents are showing their children the value of health and wellness. As a parent, he notes, “When I initiate healthy decisions for myself, and I include my kids in those decisions, I establish lifelong patterns that they will carry with them into adulthood.”

The easiest way to be active with the family is to take a walk. The CDC recommends walking at least 10,000 steps a day, Mark notes. Why not strive for that goal with a daily walk after dinner? It’s a way to burn off some of the calories in your meal while continuing discussions started around the dinner table.

There are lots of ways to make healthy choices with your family, but Josh reminds parents that the responsibility for such healthy choices starts with them. “These decisions aren’t always easy,” he notes, “but the benefits are immense for both the parents and the children.”

Ugh, It Is Too Hot Outside and My Children Are Going Stir Crazy

Ugh, It Is Too Hot Outside and My Children Are Going Stir Crazy

By: Teri Roberts, DPT

Kids Place Owner and Pediatric Physical Therapist

An Arizona summer can pose a difficult challenge trying to keep children active, yet safe.  Without a pool, I often find myself telling my two children, 7 and 8 years old, it is too hot to play outside.  At the same time, I become aggravated with their non-stop energy.  This has to be the hardest time of the year for kids and parents.  With school beginning, our children are expected to behave properly and sit an entire day in school before returning home.  After completing homework, our children must entertain themselves with indoor activities until bedtime.  So when do they have the chance to release their energy?  How can we find a happy medium between being active, yet maintaining an inside pace?

As a physical therapist and parent, I have always been more lenient with outside activities coming indoors.  My kids have always been allowed to throw balls in the house (of course, using a softer ball as they begin to throw harder), jump rope in the kitchen, jump on couch cushions placed on the floor, and do handstands and cartwheels in an open room.  However, these rules are probably not the norm in most households and cannot apply to every household.  So, what gross motor activities are appropriate indoors?

Here are some great ideas for indoor activities that will keep your children safe and active during those long, hot summers and early fall evenings:

Play hide and seek

This is actually a very quiet game, yet children find very interesting places in which to stretch or squeeze their bodies.  They often have to hold various positions for a long time, while their seeker is searching.  You can also make a rule that in order to look for the hiders, the seeker needs to walk like a certain animal or jump on one foot.  Children can play hide and seek for a very long time, releasing some energy in a quiet way.

Play the animal game

You can play this game a thousand different ways.  Sometimes, we will play animal charades, or we complete an animal puzzle while walking like the animal with each piece of the puzzle. We may reach an animal book while acting like the animal, instead of just looking at pictures.

Obstacle courses

You can make your entire house an obstacle course, without breaking anything.  Use couch cushions, pillows, blankets, tape on the floor, tiles of your floor, and/or stairs.  Give your child a sequence of activities to complete and time them to see who can complete the obstacle course with the fastest time.  An example of an obstacle course we use at our house starts in the kitchen with a bear walk to the stairs.  The kids then carry a laundry basket (small with about 5 lbs of clothes) upstairs, walk back down stairs,  hop to the living room, and jump over pillows placed on the floor.  They will then gallop to the family room and perform 10 jumping jacks before skipping back to the starting line.  After teaching my kids how to create an obstacle course, it was amazing to see how many variations they could create on their own.

Kids Yoga

This can be both energy releasing and calming at the same time.  There are many companies that have Children Yoga cards, or you can go to different websites and make your own card (www.playtimeyoga.com).  Have your child look at the card, mimic the position and hold for 30 seconds.  They will have more fun if you do the positions with them.

Although the temperature may be hot outside, it is most important to remember to keep your children active.  As a mother, I know it is easier to turn on the television, or allow my children to play video games, but this creates a horrible habit that will be hard to break once the weather becomes enjoyable outdoors.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should receive more than 60 minutes of moderate to intense activity daily.   In Arizona without a pool, this can prove to be challenging.  

Hopefully, these ideas are a great start.  I would enjoy hearing your ideas.  Which indoor activities work for your family?  Please leave your comments in the section below, and contact me directly if you would like additional indoor activities for your children.