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It used to be child’s play to get your kids outside. But with more children wanting to play in cyberspace rather than the great outdoors, parents are searching for ways to get their little ones moving. And while it can be difficult to encourage outdoor play during the spring and summer, finding fun ways to exercise during the winter months becomes a real challenge for Chattahoochee Valley parents, even in a part of the country that doesn’t see many cold days. |
Tracy St. John, owner of a mobile sports and fitness center for children called Jump Bunch, says there are plenty of cold weather alternatives. St. John believes parents should give their children ample opportunities for active play, no matter what the weather. She thinks that with a little creativity, the list of sports and games that can be moved indoors is endless.
“Fitness is an all-weather friend,” she said.
Jump Bunch modifies traditional outdoor games for an indoor setting. Children play kickball with a foam ball and volleyball with an inflatable ball and a mini-net. They run short-distance relays and do calisthenics while using hulahoops.
“Kids quickly develop a sense of boredom with sports and PE,” she explained. “So we want to expose them to a variety of ways to move. There’s something out there that’s fun for everyone.”
At an indoor play place, like Monkey Joe’s, children can burn energy jumping, sliding and climbing. Sandra Hollingsworth, director of marketing, said the giant inflatable toys at Monkey Joe’s give children a place to get that much-needed exercise.
“Kids play in so many ways now,” she explained. “And while that’s great and they’re doing creative things, they’re not necessarily getting exercise. Here, the great thing is they’re exercising, and they don’t even realize it.”
With budget cuts at schools in an uncertain economy, Hollingsworth said that physical education programs are often the first to go. Businesses like Monkey Joe’s can help make up for that, especially when cold weather keeps kids inside.
“Parents have to make an effort to make sure their children are getting the right kind of exercise,” she said.
Dr. Kim Jackson, a family practice physician in Phenix City, agrees that exercise needs to be a vital part of childhood. “Exercise is important for children because it provides physical, psychological and social benefits—you look better, feel better and live better. Exercise helps children gain more self-confidence and higher self esteem.”
Dr. Jackson added that it’s important for parents to make exercise a regular part of their children’s lives. “Active children are likely to become active adults.”
Coupled with the frustration in finding cold-weather activities is the growing obesity rate among children in the United States.
“Childhood obesity is at epidemic levels,” said local pediatrician Dr. Iris Basilio. “Over the past twenty years in the US, the prevalence of children who are overweight has doubled, while the number of overweight adolescents has tripled. A quarter of all children 2 to 18 years of age now meet the criteria for being overweight.”
According to Basilio, the health implications of the obesity epidemic include high blood pressure, abnormal lipid levels, type 2 diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, liver disease and menstrual abnormalities, in addition to the emotional effect of poor self-esteem.
And while children do seem to eat more and gain extra weight in the colder months, the critical problem may be a substantial decrease in their activity. Doctors say children burn 50 percent fewer calories in the winter.
Carol Newsome, a physical education teacher at Mt. Olive Elementary School near Ft. Mitchell, said she has plenty of tricks up her sleeve to keep kids motivated, especially when weather forces them to stay indoors. PE teachers have come a long way from leading students through a boring exercise regime.
Newsome uses every form of positive reinforcement she can think of to reward students for exercise. With 50 to 75 students at any one time, Newsome said she sets up fitness stations, where groups rotate through bleacher pushups, sprints, jump rope and other activities. She also chooses new student captains each week to lead the others in exercise and games.
“I do anything fun to get them moving, and get their heart rate up,” she said.
She also encourages her students’ families to get involved with their children’s fitness. Currently her students are teaching their parents line dancing that they learned in her class. She gives the children homework on the weekends, which requires them to participate in some kind of physical activity with their parents. She’s also planning to introduce a family activity log, where the students can track the progress they make with their families.
Newsome also has some words of advice for parents who want to get their kids away from the electronics during cold weather.
“Just unplug it. Allot a certain amount of time each for television and video games, and then unplug it.”
Cindy Givens, athletic director at Fort Benning’s Faith Middle School, agrees that it’s up to parents to get their children out of cyberspace. “We’re lucky that we live in a climate where themajority of the days we can go outside. But on those winter days when you have to be inside, the kids need to do something instead of just sitting.”
She also said it’s essential for parents to set a good example by staying active themselves. “We have to parent the hard way, and be conscious of what we’re doing.”
Givens encourages parents to think creatively when it comes to kids and exercise.
“Playing with a pet can be great exercise. Or, how about going on a treasure hunt inside your house? You’ve got to be creative, and make fun out of moving. You’ve got to make the children think they’re not working.”
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