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.