Ask the Pro
Children, Fitness, and Setting the Example
Hi Everyone. Let me come out in the open and begin by saying no I do not have children. Don’t close out this article and flip to another screen yet. I could say that I have nieces and nephews and many friends with children, but we know that simply is not the same, right? So then, why write about children when I don’t have any of my own? The primary reason is because I care about children and although I have not given birth to children, I do feel as very close to the children I train and towards those children within my “Lil Dragons” program.
We don’t need HDTV, satellite or cable to see the physical state of our children today. All we need to do is simply look around us. Over weight children are everywhere and sadly if we look deeper we will find parents who are overweight as well. Yes, I am concerned about the obesity rate and how it affects the physical aspects of a child, but also I am concerned about the mental stress and depression that seems to accompany the obesity. We all remember how it was in school. We were all teased for some reason. We know kids can be cruel to one another. With a proper work out routine, assistance from the family doctor, and proper eating we can turn around the obesity rate in children and adults. But we have to also see that it begins with us, the adults, the parents. For us to change how our children live and eat, we need to set the example by changing how we live and eat.
Did you know that between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents in the U.S. are obese? childhood obesity in the U.S. Most of this weight gain is due to improper diet and lack of exercise and it contributes to over 300,000 deaths each year. It only makes sense that overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless we can implement proper eating habits and consistent exercise.
Is your child obese? What constitutes obesity? Generally a child is not considered obese until the weight is at least 10 percent higher that what is recommended or the height and body type. The fact that I found astounding is that obesity commonly begins between the ages of 5 and 6, and during adolescence. Did you know that studies have shown that a child who is obese between the ages of 10 and 13 has an 80 percent chance of becoming an obese adult?
We can place many causes on why obesity occurs. We can blame genetics, biological, behavioral and cultural factors, and all of those are valid. But basically obesity occurs when a person eats more calories than their body can burn up. It is not shocking to know that if one parent is obese the chills has a 50 percent likelihood of also become obese, that increases to 80 percent if both parents are obese. Many of us justify for ourselves or our children that the reason we are obese or the reason our child is obese is due to a physical problem, but research has shown that only 1 percent of all obesity is caused by physical problems. The same research has shown that obesity in childhood and adolescence can be related to:
- poor eating habits
- overeating or binging
- lack of exercise (i.e. couch potato kids)
- family history of obesity
- medical illnesses (endocrine, neurological problems)
- medications (steroids, some psychiatric medications)
- stressful life events or changes (separations, divorce, moves, death)
- family and peer problems
- low self-esteem
- depression or other emotional problems
While conducting research for this article I found myself asking is the low self esteem and depression leading to obesity or are they result of the obesity? That is a question that I could not find a clear answer to. However, I personally believe that with all the pressures that a child feels when growing up obesity would not ease those pressures and would lead me to believe that obesity would add to the pressures that child faces.
I am sorry to say that I don’t have all the answers. Reading a lot of material on this subject has also shown to me that no one does have all the answers but the general consensus seems to be that there are some things we can do to help combat childhood obesity. We as the parents, the instructors, the teachers, and the mentors of these children can do a better job leading by example. It is difficult for us to teach them about fitness when we are not fit ourselves. We can reduce our portion size. We are a country of excess and extreme. We order the biggie fries, the super value meal, we are even awarded a discount for the more we order. Essentially they discount the price while we are killing ourselves. Limit our portions, each smaller meals throughout the day, increase physical activity. Parents enroll your children in our classes, even better do it with them, and set the example. Acknowledge to them that you realize it won’t be easy, but you are willing to do this with them. If you or your child are obese seek out a physician for medical assistance and an evaluation. Through this entire process of losing body fat praise your child. Let them know you see more to them than just their body weight. Praise them in all area’s. Remember most likely other children at school and around their own home remind them daily of their weight. Combat that negativity with praise.
Here is an exert from Kelli Calabrese about parents and children and yes she has children.
For Parents who are home when their children arrive from school, it’s important that they be a positive role model. Children will listen more to what you do than what you say. So be prepared to get up and move yourself.
Children are no longer required to participate in daily physical education in school and after primarily sitting all morning and afternoon, physical movement is imperative.
Most all children can find a sport they enjoy. From martial arts to lacrosse, baseball to swimming, the sports options are limitless. Between martial art practices and games you can rehearse drills with them at home. (Heather note: Our martial arts will also supply your children with the discipline to continue on and not quit when things become difficult).
Organized sports are a wonderful out let for children, but not all children like competitive sports. Look for alternative individual activities. For example go to the garage and dust off the scooters, skateboards and bikes. Find a safe place for children to engage in free play to rollerblade and jump rope. Use the play ground equipment including the monkey bars, climbing walls, crawling tubes, sliding poles and the like. (Heather note: A good program like ours takes all of this into consideration and during the warm months we meet at various places outside to do our martial arts and fitness classes.)
Take advantage of what’s available in your community. Look for state parks, walking paths, hiking trails, unused rail road beds and so on. Your children will enjoy being out in nature as well as get an education. They won’t even realize they are exercising.
As a parent we need to take an active a roll in their physical education as we do in their academic education. Physical play is natural to children and is not something that necessarily needs to be taught, but they need to be provided the outlet and a safe environment to participate in. The focus on children’s fitness should be on fun. (Heather note: Did you know our Lil Dragons and our Kids Hybrid Hapkido classes are very fun? Come on in and see.)
The following are four ways to get, and keep, children active as a family:
- Sign up for an event – Seek out community events such as a walk-a-thon, bike-a-thon or even a tri-athalon that accepts minors. (Heather note: Did you know that each year we at Calvary Family Martial Arts plans hikes, walks, and climbs up the Manitou Incline?) Sign up for that and set a goal to participate together with your children.) Competition should not be the point of focus, rather the focus should be place on doing ones best, supporting and encouraging each other and, most importantly, having fun together as a family. Spend time prior to the event “in training” to get conditioned as well as build team building skills as a family.
- Take advantage of local activity courses – Many area parks and schools are set up with physical activity courses that span across fields and trails, with exercises stations interspersed throughout. These courses are good for all ages and levels of fitness. Consider making visits to these courses a Saturday morning event, with each session having a different theme or pace; “Boot Camp” might be one such theme for your aspiring soldiers. (Heather note: Calvary Family Martial Arts and Fitness has a GREAT indoor and outdoor Boot Camp program)You can all walk briskly between stations and then simultaneously perform given exercises (pushups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, balance beams, etc) as a family. You can each set goals such as trying to beat your time from last week. The course can be followed with a healthy picnic lunch in the park that is prepared by a different family member each week. Doing so will also teach children how to choose healthy foods.
- Take some family lessons – Find an martial arts school program that offers family lessons or activities that are also physical fitness-oriented (Heather Note: Must I say it again.. Calvary Family Martial Arts and Fitness offers this very thing). Your options are unlimited, and may include tennis, dance, kick boxing, golf, swimming, and self-defense.
- Take an “extreme” family vacation – Get your children involved in planning for a dynamic family vacation that includes physical activities for everyone, both together as a family and even individually. Each family member should be able to plan a physical activity, whether it be taking a walking tour of a city, playing volleyball, kayaking, white water rafting, snorkeling, skiing or snow boarding, hiking a trail or climbing a summit. Together, you family can take the months prior to the trip to build up the endurance, strength and skills necessary to enjoy planned activities. The “vacation” can be a simple one day trip in your own your neighborhood, or something much more extravagant. Children can save allowance money for “cool” fitness gear or earn money to be used toward the purchase of specialty equipment by achieving physical fitness-oriented goals (like getting a black belt in martial arts). This will not only teach children about preparation, organization and planning, but will also reward them for engaging in activities that are good for their health.
Make the most of family initiatives by conducting activities that provide health and fitness benefits in conjunction with other valuable life skills and lessons(Heather note: Remember Calvary Family Martial Arts and Fitness is Colorado’s Premier Reality Life Arts Center meaning we teach valuable life lessons for the real world), which should help to enhance the family bond. Continue to encourage your children to be active, and the chances are strong that they will carry those good habits into adulthood. Physically active children have fewer chronic health problems than kids who are sedentary. In addition, children who are fit are better able to meet the demands of daily physical activity, have a stronger self-image and more self-confidence.
When you consider the facts, it makes good sense to encourage physical activity whether your children are toddlers or teenagers (or somewhere in between). Parents, teachers and coaches all have a role to play, as each can help kids think positively about exercise and motivate them to make regular physical activity a lifetime pursuit.
Some Facts on Children’s Fitness (or lack there of)
There is reason to be concerned about he activity habits of American children. Obesity is one of the most serious health problems facing the youth of the United States, and evidence suggests that the problem is only getting worse. For example, researchers comparing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys found that 11 percent of young people from 6 – 17 years of age were overweight in 1998 compared with about 4 percent in 1963. Children are selecting sedentary leisure time activities such as television, video games and personal computing along with eating an abundance of processed high fat and sugary foods.
Obese children are predictably more sedentary than non-obese counterparts. The Shape of the Nation survey reported that more than 40 percent of children aged five to eight exhibit coronary risk factors such as elevated blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 1993).
More than a decade ago congress passed a resolution urging individual states to require daily physical education programs for all school-aged children. The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance reported that a survey revealed that as many as half of our young people are not engaged in sufficient physical activity to develop adequate cardiovascular fitness. One third of school-aged boys and girls were unable to complete a mile run in less than 10 minutes. The survey also found that only one state, Illinois required all students from kindergarten to grade 12 to take physical education every day. Eight states had no school physical education requirements. According to the most recent data collected by the CKC, only 60.7% of high school body and 51.5% of high school girls are enrolled in physical education class.
The results of several studies have pointed out that children often do not get much physical activity in their physical education classes. For instance, Parcel, Simons-Morton, and O’Hara, in a study of elementary physical education classes, found that in a 30-minute class, the average child was vigorously active for only 2 minutes. Only 76.3 percent of students in grades 9 – 12 who were taking physical education reported being physically active for at least 20 minutes a day.
Helping people develop physical fitness habits for a lifetime should start as early as possible. To help children and adolescents develop a lifetime commitment, school physical education programs must help children learn how to establish personal exercise programs, test their own physical fitness and overcome objectives to making fitness a permanent part of their life. (Heather note: We all have heard of the cutbacks to school funding for physical education and the arts. Our martial arts programs are a great way for your children to achieve physical exercise.) The intent of physical activity programs should be to develop positive attitudes toward physical activity that will substantially influence adult activity patterns.
Kelli and I cannot express enough the need for children to begin in physical exercise at a young age, but do not become discouraged if you and your children have not been physically active. Beginning today is still better than continuing to put if off.
Contact me at 661-1288 or 237-0043 to participate in one of our classes such as Kick Fit Kickboxing, Body Tone, Indoor/Outdoor Boot Camp Extreme, Lil Dragons, Kids Hybrid Hapkido, or adult Hybrid Hapkido program.
Lets treat today as a new day, the change begins now.