More than five years ago, the Center for Disease Control
(CDC) published ‘Guidelines for School and Community Programs’ to promote
physical activity in children and teenagers, in hopes of helping them develop
lifelong exercise and physical fitness regimens.
If you, as a parent, understand and embrace these
guidelines, you can work with your school system and with community centers and
programs, like the YMCA and the Boy Scouts, to encourage and even help to
develop physical activity and exercise programs that support your goals.
If your child is obese, slightly overweight or simply in
danger of falling into the great, black pit of video gaming, you need to get
them off the couch, out from in front of the computer or video game station,
and out into the fresh air to get some exercise.
Without exercise, diet is much less successful.
Although your child may balk at physical activities at
first, they will eventually find that they feel better, sleep better and
function better when they exercise.
Take a look at some of the CDC guidelines and look for ways
to get your child more involved in exercise, and/or to get YOURSELF more involved
in the development of these programs in your schools and community.
The CDC encourages schools and community organizations alike
to establish policies and guidelines that encourage physical activity that is
enjoyable and that is suitable for all age groups, so that exercise becomes a
lifelong activity.
Schools MUST require physical education credits and provide
detailed health education and courses to teach children proper nutritional
habits and to show them the right way to exercise so that they are not injured
in the process.
Schools will find and implement physical education and
exercise programs that encourage physical activity and offer enjoyable options.
Activities like dance, gymnastics, sports and other options should be offered
with supervised coaching to avoid injury. Not all activities should be
competitive!
Activities should be sequential, advancing in complexity and
challenge as the child ages to allow them to achieve physical potential.
At minimum, National Physical Fitness standards should be
met.
Both schools and community organizations must provide
funding and adequate supervision and guidance for physical activities, sports,
and exercise equipment.
These activities and equipment choices must provide a broad
range of options to satisfy the interests of all the children in the community,
and school system.
Community and school programs should include activities that
are appropriate for children of all ages and all levels of ability.
These programs should be advertised and promoted to children
to advise them of the availability and the programs should be desirable and
enjoyable for the age group and type of children who are expected to
participate.
Health education classes should help students develop
knowledge and skills to encourage and enhance proper diet and exercise
programs. These programs should foster an appropriate attitude so that all
children WANT to live a healthy life style.
Programs should stress moderation in all activities so that
children see exercise as one of the things they will do every day, in addition
to the other activities they love, e.g. computer or video games, or watching TV
or movies.
All coaches, teachers, health education staff, and
recreation directors should have appropriate training to manage and promote
this physical education and exercise programs and to ensure that the children
under their supervision safely participate in these programs.
Safe, supervised access to facilities and equipment is
critical!
Unstructured play time is important during school and after
school, with tools and equipment to encourage impromptu games, e.g. balls,
bats, jump ropes, gymnastics equipment.
Parents and teachers should come together to discuss the
availability of school and community exercise and physical education programs.
Parents should be encouraged to take on exercise and
physical activities and to share these with their children as appropriate; to
become role models for their kids by exercising and participating in physical
activities during family events, at work functions, while visiting the park,
etc.
All school and community programs should be evaluated
periodically.
This evaluation should be detailed enough to ensure that the
needs of the children in the community are being met.
Does each child have more than one option and opportunity
for exercise and health education in multiple venues and facilities?
Now that you understand the CDC recommendations, take a look
at your own school system and at the extracurricular, and community
availability of physical activities, sports and exercise options.
If your community is lagging behind in these programs, get
actively involved. Your attendance and presentation at a town board meeting can
get organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, and the YMCA into your
community.
And you can talk to your school board and PTA or PTO about
the shortcomings in your physical education and health programs, and how your
school system may be able to improve their current programs.
You will find it much easier to help your child meet their
weight loss or fitness goals when you have community and school system support.
For your overweight, obese or inactive child, this support
and assistance is priceless!
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