Dear Parents: Physical activity builds a great foundation for a healthy life for children. There are many benefits for you and your child. Physical activity can:

• Increase self-esteem and capacity for learning.

• Help kids handle stress.

• Build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.

• Help control weight

Time together is time that’s treasured.
Try something new:

Family Adventures: See the sights of your community. Try hiking, fishing, canoeing, and berry-picking. Discover the public parks. Explore outdoor tourist attractions. Letterboxing or GeoCahsing is also a new adventure.

Family Fitness Vacations: Plan an active get-away. Swim at the beach or bike on a scenic trail. Hike or camp in the mountains. Explore state and national parks. Canoe down a river. Take a walking tour of a city.

The Gift of Physical Activity: Give a present that encourages activity. Outfit that special someone with a swimsuit or pair of athletic shoes. Select toys that make kids move, such as a basketball or bicycle. (Center for Disease Control, 2000)

Seasonal Celebrations: Welcome each season with fun. (click on the picture for local suggestions)

Winter Go sledding or build a snowman.	Spring Play whiffle ball or fly a kite.
Summer Run through the sprinkler or jump rope.	Fall Play Frisbee golf or hike through a pumpkin patch.

Community Service Project: benefiting others—volunteer as a family. Do litter patrol on a nearby road, help neighbors rake their yard or team up to clean up a favorite park.

It’s not just an action, it’s a lifestyle.

Walk and Talk: Instead of sitting at the table to do homework, take a walk with your child while practicing spelling words, multiplication tables or geography facts.

Household Jobs: Encourage responsibility and home maintenance skills by having your children help vacuum, scrub floors, mow the lawn, walk the dog, wash the car and more.

Indoor Fun: Designate a space where kids can roll, climb, jump, dance and tumble. Garages—without cars—can become an activity zone on rainy or snowy days.

Traveling Locker Room: Stash a box in the family car that holds balls, baseball gloves, a jump rope, Frisbee, kite, etc. You’ll always be ready for fun. (CDC)

WEBSITES WITH HELPFUL INFORMATION

Eat Smart Play Hard

• USDA – United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
• Promotes Healthy Lifestyle choices for parents and caregivers to provide information to help make better choices
• Help you eat better
• Be more physically active
• To be a role model for kids
• Tools for tracking calories and physical activity
• http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardhealthylifestyle/

CDC BMI Calculator

• Body Mass Index is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height and is considered an indicator for body fatness.
• This web site offers a calculator for adults and children
• www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.htm

Small Steps

• This site was developed by the Department of Health and Human Services and provides resources for Adults and Teens
• Get the Correct Facts
• http://www.smallstep.gov/

Presidents Challenge

• This site offers support for all age groups by offering a series of programs to improve the health of Americans
• http://www.presidentschallenge.org/

YMCA

• The local area Glens Falls YMCA offers many great activities for members of the entire family.
• The Strong Kids program offers financial aid to families to offer an equal opportunity for area residents.
• http://www.glensfallsymca.org/

 Shape Up America

• Healthy Weight for Life
• Promotes awareness on obesity as a health issues and provides responsible information on weight management
• Encourages 10,000 steps a day
• http://www.shapeup.org/

Milk Matters

• Sponsored by the National Institute of Child Heath and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, is a public health education campaign to promote calcium consumption among tweens and teens, especially during the ages of 11 to 15, a time of critical bone growth. Their web site includes materials for parents, teachers and youth.
• http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/

 American Heart Association

• This American Heart Association web site offers a variety of fact sheets and resources on healthy dieting, including recipes, warnings about “fad diets” and information on the role of fat calories and heart healthy grocery shopping. Also offers information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
• http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200009

We Can!

• Offers ways to enhance children’s activity and nutrition and is sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. This is a program for families and communities to help children maintain a healthy weight and focuses on three behaviors: improved food choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time.
• http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/whats-we-can/

KidsHealth

• The KidsHealth web site provides doctor-approved health information about children. KidsHealth has separate areas for young children, teenagers and parents offering in-depth features, articles, animations, games and other resources.
• http://kidshealth.org/parent/

Always remember that parents are the best role model for both inspiring an active fitness lifestyle, and also for promoting safety as a top priority in sports and recreation.