10 Tips for Making Daily Physical Activity Part of Your Childs Life!

Here's some of the bad news about sedentary lifestyles:

? Forty percent of children ages 5 to 8 show at least one heart disease risk factor, including hypertension and obesity, which among children has doubled over the past two decades.

? The first signs of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) are appearing at age 5 ? something never before seen in anyone under the age of 30.

? Children 6 to 10 are dying of sudden cardiopulmonary arrest.

? According to a recent Centers for Disease Control study, American children born in 2000 face a one-in-three chance of developing Type 2 diabetes ? what used to be called adult-onset diabetes!

? This is thought to be the first generation of children that won't outlive their parents.

The good news is that it doesn't take much to turn things around. We just have to make sure our kids are physically active! Following are some tips for making that happen:

1. Turn off the TV! Research shows children are being electronically entertained an average of five to six hours a week. Without electronics, they'll have to find other ways to keep themselves entertained.

2. Encourage your children to engage in active play. Research shows that the children who are most active are those whose parents have encouraged them to be active.

3. Play with your children! Blow bubbles for them to chase, play tag and hide-and-seek, put on an up-tempo song and boogie in the living room, or put on a John Philip Sousa march ? or break out the pots and pans ? and hold a parade around the house!

4. Serve as a role model, taking part in physical activity ? cheerfully ? yourself.

5. Take the children to parks, playgrounds, beaches, and on hikes during vacations and weekends ? instead of to amusement parks, where they'll stand in lines and then sit on rides.

6. Don't send the wrong message about physical activity by endlessly circling the parking lot for the spot closest to the door. Instead, make a game out of parking as far from the door as possible and finding different ways to get to it (walking backward, tiptoeing, jogging, or skipping).

7. When it's time for gift giving, select items like hula hoops; balls in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures; roller skates; or a wading pool or swing set. When shopping for games, Twister has more to offer than a board game. And CDs with lively music are a better choice than movie videos.

8. Don't expect organized sports to take care of your child's physical activity needs. There's more waiting than moving in most organized, adult-directed games.

9. Fight to keep physical education and recess in your child's school ? or, if necessary, to get them back! The research shows that, among other things, physical activity contributes to a better attitude toward school and improves academic achievement and test scores!

10. Make sure your child associates physical activity with FUN!

Rae Pica is a children's physical activity specialist and the author of Your Active Child: How to Boost Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Development through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003). Visit her and read more articles at http://www.movingandlearning.com

---

Bullies

Bullies are an ugly but very real part of childhood.... Read More

Frequently Asked Questions About Reading To Your Child

Are you worried about your child's reading habits? Perhaps you... Read More

More than Mom and Dad

Love, love, love. It makes the world go round. It... Read More

Child Safety at Home

Maintaining a safe home environment for your childrenAs adults and... Read More

Homework Help for the Attention Deficit Child

Does the homework battle so typical with your hyperactive or... Read More

Create a Story Book with Your Child

A fun way to build your child's imaginationWriting is still... Read More

Children?s Birthday Party Planning: When and When Not to Have a Big Party

Age 1: Invite only family members and close friends only... Read More

Planning the Ultimate Kid Birthday Party

Child Party Planning Guideline #1)Pick the ThemeYour child is going... Read More

Home And School Education - Your Kids Can Benefit From Both!

Once, as a Learning Support Teacher, I made my way... Read More

Why Do People Have Kids?

Despite the theory that people have kids because they want... Read More

How to Help Your Child be Successful in Kindergarten

Your child's first year of school should be a fun... Read More

Hints on how to encourage children to read

Hints from Ruowen Wang? Keep a small basket filled with... Read More

Your Job as a Role Model

A certain educator was once asked at what point should... Read More

Raising A High Maintenance Child

Do you have a high maintenance child?"Thank goodness my second... Read More

When Everybody Does It Comes Back to Haunt You

Parental example, whether for good or for bad, is undoubtedly... Read More

Drugs and Violence In Public Schools

Many public schools not only fail to educate our children,... Read More

So, My Child Has Been Recommended for Testing - What Do I Do Now?

You've just received a call from your child's teacher. As... Read More

CPR: Why You Should Know It

I never dreamed that I would be in a position... Read More

Teach Your Children - Without Them Knowing They Are Learning!

The great thing about children is they absorb knowledge like... Read More

What the Matter Is

When my oldest boy was really young, he tickled my... Read More

Assertiveness: Key to Better Parenting

I have always been aware of my number one weakness:... Read More

My Children

I have been a single mom for almost 20 years.... Read More

Children are People, Not Machines

When growing up, my father frequently reminded me to "pay... Read More

A Good Preschool Idea

The successful preschool idea behind many successful preschool learning centers... Read More

Parents ? The No Child Left Behind Law Wont Do Much For Your Child

Past experience with federal education programs predicts that the No... Read More

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) for Teen Drivers

Drivers 16 years of age have little driving experience, putting... Read More

Childrens Discipline: How To Resolve Divorce Parenting Differences?

Did you know that inconsistency on matters of discipline gives... Read More

5 Steps to Raising an Optimistic Child

I had just completed a session with 17-year old Julie... Read More

If at First They Dont Succeed - What a Great Opportunity!

When kids try new things, sometimes it's a 'fit' and... Read More

Developing a Fantastic Relationship with Your Child

Here's a scene: A parent "might suddenly grab a happliy... Read More

My Dads Secrets

From the book Spider's Night on the BoomI've only begun... Read More

Promoting Your Childs Heart Health

Cardiovascular endurance is one of the five health-related components of... Read More

Educational Toys And Childrens Books - A Must For Optimal Childhood Development

The brightly colored plastic mobile dangles lazily overhead in the... Read More