|
|
Fun and fit: 10 easy steps to keeping kids physically active
1 z; |5 Z* I, L9 IBy Jenny lee, Vancouver Sun d' I7 D3 H) I. ~7 T4 W4 N+ @. j o# }
" Z# U) o. j: ~- iExercise for kids: Playing is better than preaching.
4 c$ I" R; l7 W5 X; f& q1 B/ V! r6 [; P0 \" M; E5 I1 T
VANCOUVER - Keeping kids physically active through the summer takes more than a pair of sneakers.! \' ~; `) F7 l$ k0 T" K( Q# }5 ]1 ?3 d
2 s3 B$ N2 R+ b1 q$ bIt also takes sneaky parents.- M# t. k' P/ e5 S6 l8 @) J' k
; H5 {& ]! _; t% v
Dragging a reluctant child outdoors for some exercise is surely one of contemporary parenting's most vexing challenges. If you don't get outright rebellion, you'll certainly get heavy-limbed lethargy.
" e8 q9 A8 ?6 i" A$ p( n
* S" K# h9 f" i0 E& X# Z1 GBut here's the trick: don't bother preaching to your child about health, fitness and nutrition. Dire warnings about future diabetes, high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure won't work either.% M$ v! F) q% ~& Z X; k
, _# _4 B0 N- ~& D1 O6 g, oInstead, talk fun, friends, treats and increased energy.- o3 B0 h$ d3 u% b5 p! m* x
1 d+ e) j I8 s5 H* p' kTake fitness in teeny, tiny steps. Make physical activity a by-product of fun rather than the all-too-obvious parental goal. For instance, just puttering together in a canoe is a good enough start. There's no need to make the kids row to the end of the lake. : A0 l9 [- W/ {. w8 t
6 g. x+ L; A! P4 U6 l! a
The idea is to sneak in more and more fun activities that will build both interest and physical ability over time. Sooner or later, your child will have developed enough muscle tone and physical coordination that participating in an activity will actually sound like fun rather than an impossible morale sinker./ o$ n- Q2 o& o2 D& y
% [; P/ O0 i1 ~$ c
And don't forget, if you have to choose just one, being fit is more important than being thin.
2 V1 e" Y; l2 V% G
! Y2 M+ W& W* g% J' d. ]"Called the 'fit and fat' theory, U.S. physical activity guru Stephen Blair has shown convincingly that the health risks that the general public generally associate with 'fatness' are actually due to physical inactivity among those people," University of B.C. sports medicine physician Karim Khan said. "When obese people become active, their risk profile improvement mirrors their improvement in fitness - even if they remain obese."
8 }# w4 u, {0 J1 h* Y( |: S7 L3 k
1.Go on a treasure hunt. Set out to find the Lower Mainland's best outdoor water parks, playgrounds or climbable trees. It could take you all summer. If you're really enthusiastic, you could end up with an illustrated journal, a photo diary, or at the very least, an annotated list.
; T# N7 h0 p4 A/ l8 P5 INeed some ideas to get you going?
) i. h) Z% J S# I! uCheck out the Lower Mainland's newest playground at Garden City Community Park in Richmond (between Garden City Road and Granville Avenue). The climbing frame is a tangle of old-growth tree limbs and underground storm water is collected and funnelled to a maneuverable sluice, hand-pump and water wheel.
8 `/ \$ j. S' K. L; n% }0 P9 X5 p4 b" H' q) h
2. Set up a backyard slack line. Few kids - or adults - can resist a slack line that's just innocently sitting there, minding its own business in your backyard.
; X* \4 q+ L% R' W0 x. FSet it up just a couple of inches from the ground so no one gets hurt and cheerfully make a fool of yourself by trying it first.
+ V7 A% z$ H3 y* D" x5 OAll you need is rope or tubular webbing, a handful of carabiners and some old carpet to protect the trees. Search "How to Set up a Slackline" in YouTube for a clear and simple video. The Instructable site, www.instructables.com, also has good directions.8 N; i# i! ` g% Q
Some starter tips from www.slacklineexpress.com:
, ]# U5 ]% ~; G* u8 Y3 n- Don't watch your feet or the webbing. Focus on something eye level near the end of the webbing and let your balance tell you where to put your feet.
& }: @4 ?; P0 }# q: s- If you stand up slowly, the webbing will try to shake violently. When mounting, place one foot on the line and put very little weight on it. Hop with your supporting foot (the one on the ground) so that it is at least a foot off the ground before your weight shifts back onto the foot on the line. Try and sink straight down on the line after jumping in from the side.
! B. O: a. o% X/ H! l4 }" G- Try bending your knees outwards, keep your arms out and stay low. Let your hips and legs move like a hula dancer. Keep your torso fluid.
/ G) V2 Q/ R8 N7 X6 y: A! t; S; F- Z- Give it at least 20 minutes - you'll be surprised at your progress.
" y* u; L! `" q- Play some music so you can move with rhythm. It really helps!
) C) S! ~+ L, r1 j7 E- Bouncing up and down removes much of the side-to-side sway and is easier to control.
. e7 J4 N- W% Q1 G, H9 Z3 F
3 j$ }8 }* _/ | X3. Seek bats, beaver lodges and dragonflies. Metro Vancouver Park's Check it Out! programs are a fun and engaging introduction to outdoor activity.Check it Out! programs range from free half-day drop-ins to registered two-to five-hour adventures. Kids will be so busy exploring Burnaby Lake beaver lodges by canoe, looking for bats at dusk or catching dragonflies, they won't even notice the physical activity. www.gvrd.bc.ca. E) M3 a, x8 b
8 E8 u1 R/ B3 @4. Camp, kick and splash. Go camping. Sooner or later, the kids will splash in a stream, check out a sand dune, or kick a pebble.The trick to getting your kids active is to be active yourself. And the trick to being active yourself is to find something that's truly fun. Chuck a ball, a bucket and a bike into the trunk and hit the road.
: L( Y. r8 `7 y# }; y. \7 V1 g8 C
( Q& H! ]1 _9 a6 ^6 }$ ]5.Zip around. A zipline is a thrilling, high adrenaline, high-speed flying fox. Unlike the typical playground model though, you won't need to hang on for dear life. Instead, you're harnessed in for safety.Grouse Mountain's brand new ziplines will whiz you around at 50 kilometres per hour. You'll also learn about indigenous flora and fauna, and visit orphaned grizzly bears. www.grousemountain.com or 604-980-9311. At Whistler's www.ziptrek.com (1-866-935-0001) rides are up to 600 metres long and you'll travel up to 80 km/h. Ziptrek also offers tandem ziptrekking for kids six and older.
0 v6 }0 ^% D4 _! o: |$ }
+ o, J, N/ I! \8 h6 B4 J a6.Drop off a cliff, spin some wheels. Just one day of rock climbing will give your kid bragging rights for a year.The Squamish Mountain Festival has a one-day introductory kids clinic for $45 (Saturday, July 19, www.squamishmountainfestival.com).Many community centres offer one-day family adventures such as kayaking, rock climbing or biking around Stanley Park. Also check out YWMC and YWCA programs.Signing up for a structured family mini-adventure means someone else does all the planning and you get to be an equal participant with your child. And, depending on your personal skill set, your child may catch on faster than you - a very positive turn of affairs.Alternatively, pack a picnic, rent a canoe, go pitch and putt, or rent a tandem bike near Stanley Park at Denman and Georgia. If you've never hiked up the Squamish Chief, maybe this year's the year. How about skimboarding on the flats at Spanish Banks? Boogie-boarding in Deep Cove?9 \9 k& H7 p) c1 C9 D1 s
: _0 N! D" ^% T" B7. Camp with friends. Camps needn't be focused on soccer or tennis.The Friends Uniting for Nature week-long day camps for kids 10 to 15 run July 7 to August 29. Activities include bike maintenance workshops, building solar-powered-cars, hiking, visiting farms, and planting herb gardens. The non-profit camps are held outdoors at the University of B.C. with an emphasis on fun, learning, and friendship-building. Two spaces each week are available to youth with limited financial means. visit www.funcamps.ca, the "FUN Camps" group on Facebook, or phone 778-231-5921.Moss and Sauce's Summer Jam, a Point Grey day camp for seven to 11 year olds, includes cooperative games and sports, creating puppet shows and silkscreening. 778-558-1843 or http://summerjam.mossandsauce.com/what.html
: b5 {4 i7 W) l8 P# s5 |' l, ]# {2 ~( W/ X% h7 m
8. Go with girl power. Teen and tween girls are often more comfortable trying new activities when boys aren't around.The Vancouver YWCA runs a two-week camp where girls can make friends, try new sports and learn basic skills. Activities include swimming, yoga and hip hop. Programs that combine music, dance and food are another good combination.Not a camp kinda girl? How about mountain biking, skate-boarding, hip hop, canoeing or Ultimate? ESC Adventures offers girls-only mountain biking and surfing. www.escadventures.com, 604-307-2453. Organized team sports can get competitive as children get older and those who can't keep up are left out. Lifestyle activities can be a lot more fun.7 _1 Z8 F) ?; ?/ [0 Z& i2 q2 c
k8 x% E; v' M
9. Make that a date. Sign up for a weekly activity with a friend and be sure to allow time to socialize afterwards.It could be a walk, golf lessons, rowing, skateboarding, mountain biking or yoga. West Vancouver's $5 drop-in Salsa-by-the-Sea dance lessons (604-925-7266) are easy, laid back, family-oriented and lots of fun. Lessons are right on Ambleside Beach, Thursdays, June 26 to Aug 28.0 T2 U3 s# n2 C2 c
+ o4 D8 ^0 b9 T* n0 e) y& O10. Log on. Kidnetic.com has ideas and activity challenges for pre-teens who are just starting to make the transition from screen time to more physical activity.The site is backed by an impressive partnership of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, International Food Information Council, International Life Sciences Institute Center for Health Promotion, and the U.S. National Recreation and Park Association. |
|
IP卡
狗仔卡
提升卡
置顶卡
沉默卡
喧嚣卡
变色卡
千斤顶
显身卡
支持！