May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, and it’s a great time to focus on simple ways to incorporate more movement into daily routines. Here are just a few reasons why movement matters:
Promotes healthy weight and strong bones and muscles
Helps to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer
Enhances memory, attention, and judgment skills and helps children and adults to refocus
Studies have shown that after 20 minutes of physical activity, students test better in reading, spelling, and math. And, kids who participate in a school sport are less likely to drop out. How can you make sure your kids are getting enough activity?
Aim for at least 60 minutes a day. The CDC recommends that children ages six and older get at least an hour of physical activity every day—though it need not be all in one chunk. Many countries have recommendations that children get about three hours of activity a day, or 15 minutes every hour. Children have shorter attention spans and exercise is a great way to keep them alert—one of the reasons why “brain breaks” at school are so effective.
Include 3 types of exercise. Like adults, children need different types of exercise to stay healthy:
1. Aerobic activity—most of the 60 minutes per day should be this type of exercise. At least three days a week, children should do vigorous aerobic activity such as running, swimming, and fast-paced dancing.
2. Muscle strengthening and weight-bearing exercise—activities such as gymnastics, jumping rope, push-ups, and tug-of-war help kids strengthen muscles and build strong bones. It’s great for them to do these types of activities at least three times a week.
You can use this month as an opportunity to raise awareness in your home and community about the benefits of physical activity—below are just a few ideas:
Make small changes, such as taking a walk after dinner or going for a bike ride.
Motivate teachers and administrators to make physical activity a part of every student’s day.
Identify youth leaders who can talk to their peers about the importance of being active.
Host a community event where families can learn about fun fitness activities. Click here for
more information and ideas: http://healthfinder.gov/nho/MayToolkit.aspx.
Monthly Challenge: May You Move More! Sitting for long periods of time, even if you exercise regularly, is detrimental to health for both children and adults. Get creative, and start looking for ways to get up and move more throughout the day. For example, march in place while watching TV, stand instead of sitting while talking on the phone, make a few extra trips up the stairs...it all adds up!
Monthly Media: May tends to mark the start of BBQ season. While grilling can be fun, cooking certain foods at high temperatures (meat, fish, chicken...etc.) can be very harmful to health. Check out this informative article from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which also provides tips for enjoying a healthy, hearty BBQ: http://www.pcrm.org/node/63441.
And, be sure to try Wellness Foundation’s featured recipe for May, 15-Minute Fiesta Tacos! This healthy spin on a classic family favorite is fun to eat and easy to prepare.
Ingredients (serves 4-8) 2 cups black beans
1 cup plain tomato sauce, tomato puree, or chopped tomatoes
2 tsp Tabasco or hot sauce
2 tsp ground cumin
8 corn or whole grain taco shells
(Optional Toppings): Shredded lettuce or other greens
Avocado or guacamole Chopped tomatoes
Chopped onion
Chopped peppers (bell or Chili) Cooked corn kernels
Salsa or pico de gallo
Method: Cook the beans, tomato sauce, and Tabasco and cumin in a skillet over medium-high heat for about five minutes. Assemble the tacos: place the bean filing in the shells and set up a “toppings bar” with extras such as shredded lettuce, avocado, guacamole, salsa, chopped onion, tomatoes...etc. Let your child have fun experimenting with different textures and flavors!
*Recipe adapted from Simple Vegan (http://simpleveganblog.com/15-minute-simple-vegan-tacos/). WKids May Calendar
May 10th—today is National Bike to School Day. If possible, have the whole family hop on bikes instead of in the car—it’s better for your health and the environment!
May 20th—getting enough sleep is so critical (for children and adults) that May has also been recognized as Better Sleep Month. Our tip for today is to swap a “screen” for a book before bed.
May 26—don’t forget the sunscreen! The National Council on Skin Care Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day as Don’t Fry Day to encourage sun safety awareness. Visit http://www.skincancerprevention.org/programs/dont-fry-day for more information and tips.
May 29th—processed meats, such as hot dogs, are linked to increased risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. “Health up” your Memorial Day BBQ this year by grilling some fruits and veggies! Pineapple and peaches work particularly well on the grill. And when it comes to veggies, corn, portabella mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus, squash, zucchini and onion are all great grilling option—just make sure to keep the peels on the fruits and veggies in order to pack in the most nutrients and flavor.
Help support the WKids program by joining us at our annual Summer Benefit on June 24th! Enjoy delicious plant-based hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and live music. All proceeds benefit Wellness Foundation’s programs, services, and support for children and the community. Click for more information.
WKids is a program of Wellness Foundation which empowers children and adults with the information and tools they need to build a healthy future. For more information, please visit us
at http://www.wfeh.org.
