Good day everyone. First, I want to thank the many of you for all your kind words and posts here throughout the year. I appreciate all your support, and I am very happy many of you enjoy this blog.
As I did last year, I will not post here as often during the summer months so I can concentrate on other projects. I have signed up with a literary agent, and will be involved in publishing my next book. I am also going to do some work for some companies pertaining to children’s fitness.
I wanted to wish all my loyal readers and new visitors a good summer. I will post here periodically throughout the summer, but start again in the Fall with more consistant posts. Feel free to use the existing articles on this web site as a valuable resource. Thank you.
June 19th, 2007
by Len Saunders
I received the following question from Sandy in the UK.
Len, my daughter is severely overweight. What can she do to lose weight and get healthy again? She can hardly move!
Sandy, thank you for allowing me to publish this on my web site. This is a serious problem for most overweight children and adults. For some, just getting out of bed is a challenge. It is important to always talk to your child’s pediatrician first to see if there are any limitations. Also, start some restrictions on your daughter’s eating habits. Cook healthy meals and avoid common snacking that may take place between meals. Make sure she is also drinking plenty of water each day. Once your daughter gets the approval from her doctor to exercise, it is always recommended to have her participate in light routines such as walking or swimming in pool. These types of exercise are going to be lower in intensity. Remember, someone who is overweight has to work harder at a skill even though the intensity is lower due to the extra weight needed to carry out the task. You did not mention her age, but strict supervision is necessary for safety and support.
An article in the Pak Tribune ( link ) states, “Obese children may have a hard time exercising because of the effort needed to move their larger bodies — not because their hearts aren’t up to the challenge, according to a new study. The findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggest that significantly overweight children should stick with low-intensity activities — such as walking at an easy pace — so that they don’t fade quickly or ultimately give up on exercise.”
Walking is the best way to start. It also is easy to achieve. A high degree of success with any skill will help motivate the overweight child to continue. Family walks together are another great motivational tool.
The study from the Pak Tribune which tested normal weight and overweight children stated, “During higher-intensity cycling tests, both groups of teenagers showed similar oxygen use relative to their weight — a measure of aerobic fitness. However, the obese teens breathed harder on the easiest cycling test, where there was no “uphill” challenge. They also covered less distance when asked to walk or run on a flat surface for 12 minutes. All of this suggests that obese kids` lower capacity for exercise stems from the demands of simply moving a larger body, according to the study authors.”
June 14th, 2007
by Len Saunders
Now that summer is almost here, it is a good time to start to prepare for family fun fitness activities. MyrtleBeachOnline.com ( link ) states, “Summer vacation used to mean late nights playing flashlight tag with your friends, riding bikes all over your neighborhood and catching balls with your buddies. Times have changed. Fear keeps kids close to home, and both the hot sun and lure of video games keep them inside.” The key thing here is the lure of technology. This should be limited as much as possible. Here are some suggestions to keep you kids fit this summer from the above article.
1. Limit the amount of screen time. Reduce the computer, video-games, and TV consumption.
2. Spend money on the basics needed. Buy jumpropes and balls for the children to use.
3. Make time to get outside. Sometimes, the earlier the better before the PM heat becomes overwhelming.
4. Give children things to do. Suggestions from parents help out.
5. Enroll your children in some type of organized activity.
6. Model good activity. Be a good role model for you child.
Here are some more suggestions from Len Saunders on summer health activities.
1. A Family Walk – A nice family walk is always a safe and fun activity to do which promotes family togetherness as well as exercise. Find a safe area in your neighborhood to take a family stroll. If the weather is not cooperating, take a trip to the local mall and window shop. This means, walk around the mall without stopping for 15 minutes and just browse through the windows. When the 15 minutes is up, go back to any store you may have seen something you liked.
2. Commericial-cize – As you may know, children watch over 20 hours of TV a week. A fun idea is to watch TV together as a family, but every time a commercial comes on the TV, commit to performing a specific exercise. For example, during the first commercial break, the entire family should do 10 jumping jacks every time a commercial comes on. The next break, you may switch to performing 5 push-ups each time a commercial comes on. Follow this pattern each and every time you watch TV. Try to have your children do this even when you are not watching the television with them.
3. Exercise Videos – Purchase an exercise video that is safe and fun for the entire family. Watch it as a family, and perform it as a family.
4. Household Chores – Work around the house is a form of exercise. As long as you create a safe environment, children can vacuum, rake leaves, take out the garbage, clean the garage, or paint a room. It promotes a family fitness environment.
5. Family Hikes – Find a safe, protected, and recognized hiking trail where you can take a family hike together. Put on the backpacks, hiking shoes, and pack a lunch on an exercise adventure.
6. Bike Rides – Find a safe area to take a family bike ride together. Make sure it is a non traffic area so the children remain safe.
7. Theme Parks – Take the children to a theme park. You have fun, but at the same time do a lot of walking to all the wonderful attractions.
8. Join Local Gym – Why not join a health club with your children? Some clubs actually offer discounts if the whole family signs up. Many gyms also offer exercise routines for children as well.
9. Walk To School (if it is not over yet) – A great way to talk and exercise with your children is to walk them to school.
10. Basic Calisthenics – Teach your children to proper fundamentals to performing exercise properly. Show them how to do a push-up or jumping jack. Work on them together!
June 7th, 2007
by Len Saunders