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New Book Covers

I am pleased to announce that two of my adventure in exercise book series, starring Joey the Kangaroo and Spunky the Monkey have been published.  They are both on sale as of mid-March, 2010.  To get a discount on these books, purchase them from the adventure in exercise web site…..Click Here.  The books are high quality, and lots of fun for your children as they teach them to read and exercise simultaneously.  Visit the web site to learn more.

New Book Cover

Click here to visit the book web site

ABC-TV ( link ) in California stated, “Lunchtime at North Hollywood High School gives some students time to dash off campus for a bite to eat. They don’t have to go far. Across the street there’s everything from burgers, fries, burritos and even dessert. However, a new study reports fast food within earshot of high schools is going straight to student waistlines.”

This is becoming a major contributor to obese students in this area of California.  “According to the new study, mainly focused on students in California high schools, researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University found that fast-food restaurants within walking distance — 530 feet or less from a high school — resulted in a 5.2 percent increase in the incidents of student obesity, compared to the average for California teens.”

Many of the students do not like eating in the school, as the state their are too many obstacles.  So, they go off campus to eat, as they feel this is better than not eating at all.  Many of the children don’t want to bag their lunches, so they are just eating the wrong foods.

What is your opinion?

Len

Can you please list all the benifits of drinking water.  My son is drinking too much soda.

John, I created a web site that discusses this.  Click here to see it.

Here is a start for you.  I hope it helps, and please visit my water site.

• Water removes harmful toxins from the body.
• Water suppresses the appetite.
• Helps keep your energy level up.
• Reduces fluid retention in the body.
• May help relieve headaches by re-hydrating the brain.
• Assists with reducing arthritis.
• Can help prevent infection by strengthening the flow of lymph in the system.
• Water is a great lubricant in the body.
• Can reduce lower back pain.
• Can help with reducing blood pressure.
• Helps prevent cramps during exercise by keeping blood pumped with oxygen.
• Helps keep skin hydrated and healthy.
• Can help reduce high cholesterol.
• Can reduce the risks of heartburn and ulcers.
• Can reduce the risks of breast and colon cancer.
• Water helps burn fat as fuel.
• Water moistens tissues in the body, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Transports nutrients throughout the body.
• Can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
• Helps regulate body temperature.
• Water carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells.
• Drinking water is essential for weight loss.
• Water helps muscle stimulation.
• Helps out the body with digestion.
• Water helps you perform better during exercise.
• Water helps to regulate your body temperature.

Recently, I read an article ( link ) about the deterioration of fitness levels of children in the state of Texas.  The article discusses how as children in Texas get older, they are getting more and more flabbier.  I did not question the study group used here.  “Based on evaluations of nearly 2.6 million students in grades three through 12, the testing found that fitness levels drop with each passing grade – and elementary-age children perform the best.”

Some of the major findings discussed…..”Results showed that only about 32 percent of third-grade girls and 28 percent of third-grade boys reached the “healthy fitness zone,” meeting performance targets on six fitness tests.  Among 12th-graders, only 8 percent of girls and 9 percent of boys met the health standards on all six tests.”

This study and article is important.  We need to keep the children motivated with regards to healthy living as the get older.  This technology generation can be the first group who will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

An article in ‘The Age’ ( link ) called, “When school sport is just an exercise in frustration” discusses this growing concern, although it did not give many suggestions to this concern.

Physical education in the schools has changed, although this article does portray PE in a negative manner. “School physical education classes can be very traumatic for students who are overweight and those who don’t like sport.  They dread the line-up where teams are picked, they get embarrassed standing on the starting blocks in their bathers and they hate coming last at every compulsory sports day, cross country event, time trial and orienteering.”

This type of PE is really in the past, The ‘new PE’ tries to accommodate all children, and make all children feel comfortable as well as confident.

So, why is this article important? Articles like the one mentioned above really support the need for quality, daily PE in the schools taught by a certified instructor.

Later on, the article makes great sense by stating the following:

“”Exercise more” is sound advice but why would any student who found exercise difficult and suffered horribly in school sports classes simply just decide to do more of it? And why is it that if a child is not “achieving at the expected level” in reading writing or arithmetic they are offered remedial classes, special education, catch up sessions and plenty of school-based support. But if a student is unfit or not good at sport, he and his parents are on their own? How do we expect students to follow the mantra to exercise more if they don’t have the skills or confidence to do so? If we are as serious about making fitness a national priority, as we are about the three R’s, then maybe we could start thinking about strategies for helping students who are not good at sport rather than just nagging them and their parents. We certainly did not expect children’s literacy and numeracy standards to increase just by talking about the “three Rs”. Perhaps schools need to offer remedial or more individualized sports tuition. This tuition may not only improve students’ skills and confidence but they may also stop dreading sports day and start to enjoy exercise.”

So what can parents or teachers do to help children in need?

1. First off, a teamwork needs to be created. The parent, teacher, or
   coach all have to be on the same page. They all want to same result,
   to make a children enjoy fitness/sport and to be healthy.
2. Find out what the child likes to do and build on it. For example,
   if a child enjoys walking because it is easy to do, then build a program
   around walking. If they like basketball, try to build a healthy
   program around basketball.
3. Build up the child’s self esteem. Don’t over criticize them.
   They probably do that enough to themselves on their own.
4. Try not to pressure them too much. Let them have some degree of
   control in the situation.
5. Positive reinforcement is a great thing. Compliment them on any
   effort they give.
6. Keep an open line of communication with the child. Let them know
   they can always contact you at any time.
7. Stay consistent with their exercise. Doing something once a week
   or two will not help much. Try to make a schedule and stick to it.
8. Lead by example. A child will not respect you if you don’t
   practice what you preach.

One solution is to get both parent and child to work together on setting realistic goals together, or a blueprint for success. Since success (or effort) in this regard is measured differently by parent and child, communication will be the key. A good effort by the parent and child can definitely improve the health of the family. A family can sit down for a few minutes each day and make a game plan for improved health which satisfies both parent and child. The best way to accomplish this is by understanding how both sides define effort, and then building on that. Basically, teaching a child about effort can not only help them succeed in life, but also teach them about being healthy! To learn more about this, visit Len Saunders “Reach High” web site.