Monday, September 13, 2010

Be active by playing together inside and outside.

When Eat Right Montana created our FIT KIDS = HAPPY KIDS poster and handout for Montana families, we put active play at the top of the list:
Be active by playing together inside and outside.

Although I am a Registered Dietitian dedicated to sharing the benefits of good nutrition, I believe that any effort to improve family health should start with active play. First, the benefits of physical activity extend to every part of our bodies and lives - from brain cells to our muscles, from fat cells to our emotions, from bones cells to our ability to learn new information.

Secondly, getting plenty of activity helps the natural signals of hunger and satiety to work well. It's really hard to know when you are truly hungry - or satisfied - when you are basically sedentary (often near large caches of very enticing foods).

Notice that I have not used the "E" word anywhere in this discussion. In fact, exercise is not something that most people (especially young people) want to do. While a few adults may love being at the gym, most children and teens prefer to play ... sliding ... running ... sports ... dribbling ... biking ... whirling ... dancing ... tumbling ... hopping ... skipping ... jumping. Truth be told, many adults prefer the "play" approach to activity as well.

Up next - can video games replace the need for outdoor play?

3 comments:

  1. You nailed it, Dayle. Thank you for this post! Great resources too!

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  2. Thanks for sharing such informative post with us.
    Most of kids can not help but move their muscles but I think sandbox play is a good option which is great for the arms.

    Thanks & Regards
    Xbox Controller

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fit Kids = Happy Kids is a product of the Southwest Region (SWR) Educating Communities on Healthy Options (ECHO) revitalizing quality nutrition services (RQNS) initiative and provides both client-focused and educator-focused tools for preventing childhood obesity and promoting healthy eating and physical activity Outcall Escortschat sex

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