Fitness Tips for Kids

Almost 40 percent of children are overweight, and more than 16 percent are considered obese, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. During the past 20 years, the prevalence of obesity has doubled among American children. It is important, therefore, that children learn how to incorporate physical activity into their daily schedules. That can set them up for a lifetime of healthful attitudes and behaviors related to fitness.

Find Out What Your Child Likes to Do

Sit down as a family and discuss alternatives for being active. Maybe your child enjoys hiking, walking on the beach or playing tag. Maybe your teen likes swimming or biking. Make it a point to set aside times during the week to encourage and enable him to participate in those activities. If your child is younger, you may want you to participate in the activity with him. This is healthy for both of you, so take advantage of this special time with your child.

Turn Off Sedentary Habits

In a world in which computers, cell phones and televisions often dominate the activities of children and adults, you may have difficulty breaking away from these predominantly sedentary activities. Put limits on the time your family spends in front of the television, on the cell phone and in front of the computer. Limit the television watching to specific shows, put a timer near the video game box. Turn your child on to physical activity by doing it together during family time that is designated for being active. Most importantly, set a good example for your children.

Encourage Physical Activity

You don't need to park your car in the spot closest to the store. Take a walk with your child. Instead of the elevator, take the stairs. Bike with your children instead of driving, if possible. Encourage physical activity by showing your child how she can do it in little ways every day. The website Healthy Children recommends 30 minutes of daily physical activity, including walking, biking, swimming or running.

Eat Healthily As a Family

Stick with lean proteins, foods high in fiber and whole grains. Select low-fat or nonfat dairy products and vegetable-based oils. Make sure snack options in the home include a lot of fruits and vegetables, and stay away from food that is high in sugar or simple carbohydrates. Eat together as a family a few times a week; a nutritious meal is an opportunity for you to be a positive role model and share a healthful experience with your child.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/294247-fitness-tips-for-kids/#ixzz1HScyVOT8

10 Summer Safety Tips

Keep Kids Healthy and Safe This Summer

Summer is full of good times and fun, kids look forward to summer break all year long. Summer coincides with many activities, sports, trips and adventures, along with the good times also brings new sets of concerns.

There are summer health tips for kids that can be followed that will help children to make their summer break as safe as possible.

1. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Swimming Safety

There are basic swimming safety tips that can followed that could save a child's life during the swimmingseason. It is wise idea to teach your child to swim and/or take your child to swim lessons. Always make sure a child of any age is being supervised even if the child is an excellent swimmer. Although swimming is great fun, there are safety factors that should be considered when at a pool, for example no diving in the shallow end, running, pushing or holding another person under the water. When it rains and storms, no one should be in the water due to the possibility of lightning strike. Explaining and demonstrating these simple summer health tips to children can greatly reduce the chance of a crisis and give kids a better understanding of the importance of water safety.

2. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Sun Protection

Skin cancer is a great concern for kids and adults, skin cancer is on the rise but taking a few precautions can help reduce the chance of skin damage caused by the sun. Make sure kids wear at least an SPF 30 sunscreen every time they go outside even if it is not a sunny day, the overcast skies can be just as damaging to the skin as sunny skies. Have kids where a hat and sunglasses if they feel comfortable, it is a great way to protect the ears, head, neck and eyes from sun exposure as they areas tend to be susceptible to sun damage.

3. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Bug Bites

Older kids can benefit from wearing insect repellent but making sure to wash the repellent off at the end of the day once their outdoor activities are over is equally as important. Younger children can benefit from being covered as much as possible such as long sleeved, light weight and light colored fabric as a good choice. If bug allergies are a concern such as bee stings, make sure to have the appropriate medications on hand and make people aware of your child's medical concerns whom are often around your child.

4. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Staying Hydrated

Kids should be drinking water throughout the day to stay hydrated, a water bottle carried around through the day can really help to prevent dehydration and sluggishness. Drinking lots of water is so important especially when kids are out in the hot sun and children's bodies tend to lose a lot of water through sweat.

5. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Bicycle Safety

Children get around by bike and most love to just ride around the neighborhood but knowing the rules of the road and protecting the body while bicycling is of great importance. Most drivers license facilities offer bicycle safety brochures for free and taking the time to go over the rules for bicycle traveling can really help to keep a child safe. There are many areas of the body that can be protected while riding a bicycle but the most important area to protect is the head, bicycle helmets are readily available at discount stores and specialized sporting good stores.

6. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Summer Allergies

Summer time allergies can create havoc for a child, meeting with a physician before summer starts and making a plan of action of allergy prevention for your child can really help to alleviate the allergies before they start and help to make your child's summer more enjoyable.

7. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Hot Cars

It is imperative to never leave a child of any age in a closed up car in the summer for even a few minutes. Even on a cool day with the sun shining can cause a car to heat up quickly, kids especially infants can overheat and get heat stroke in a matter of minutes. The few minutes saved by not removing a child from a vehicle is not worth the risk of death to your precious cargo.

8. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Fireworks Safety

Kids should never be allowed to play with any type of fireworks of any kind. Fireworks of any type give off tremendous heat and a serious burn or body part damage is always something that is possible when fireworks are being used. Fireworks should be left to the professionals.

9. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Poisonous Ivy and Other Poisonous Plants

Educating kids on the poisonous plants that may surround their play area is the first and most important step in poison prevention. If poisonous contact does occur, make sure to have any over the counter medication or prescription medication on hand so that the medication can be applied immediately to the affected area.

10. Summer Health Tip for Kids: Playground Safety

Many of the bumps and bruises that children receive come from the playground. If a child follows simple safety rules such as no pushing, kicking, running too fast and waiting your turn, many of the injuries can be prevented. Most schools have playground rules and explaining to your child that the same playground rules learned at school apply even during the summer may help to reduce the chances of a hurt child.

The summer health tips for kids highlighted here can make for a more enjoyable summer for you and your child. While summer should be fun, laughter and good times, keeping that summer fun going can happen by following some simple summer health tips for children.

Sources:

www.pediatrics.about.com

www.entnet.org

http://www.associatedcontent.com

Spring Time and Children's Health

Spring time is now here. For most children, this means more outdoor activities (swimming, camping, bike riding, etc.). For all parents, this means being extra vigilant to keep your child safe and healthy.

This article discusses some tips to keep your child safe and healthy this spring, including:

• Avoiding and Treating Spring Allergies, which can cause your child to have a lot of sneezing, plus a clear runny or stuffy nose, itchy and watery eyes and a cough, especially when he has spent a lot of time outside.
• Water Safety to protect your children when they are swimming or boating. Most importantly, always supervise your children around the water.
• Sun Safety to prevent damage from too much exposure to the sun. Regular use of sunscreen in children can lower their risk of skin cancer by almost 78%. But remember that sunscreen only works if you use it correctly and it does not substitute for limiting too much sun exposure. Many parents make the mistake of using sunscreen and then allowing unlimited sun exposure.
• Using Insect Repellents Safely to prevent bites from mosquitoes, etc. which can make your child miserable.

Help your child enjoy Spring by following the basic health and safety tips that are described in the rest of this article.

By Vincent Iannelli, M.D., About.com Guide

Keep Kids Healthy As Winter Gives Way to Spring

When days get longer and the weather begins to warm up, it's a sure sign that spring is around the corner. After months of cold temperatures and gray skies, just about everyone looks forward to spending time outdoors taking in the sights, sounds and scents of the season. But with temperatures rising and flowers, trees and grasses beginning to bloom, it's also time to protect kids from seasonal allergies and sun exposure. Here are some tips for keeping kids healthy all spring long.

* Look out for signs of seasonal allergies. Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, is a common problem in both infants and children. Common symptoms include repeated sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose with clear drainage or congestion, itchy eyes and nose, throat clearing, sore throat, and/or a cough that tends to worsen at night and in the morning. Kids with seasonal allergies also tend to breathe through their mouth a lot and may have dark circles under their eyes.

* Limit kids' exposure to common allergens. While it's impossible to keeps kids clear of all outdoor allergens, there are some common-sense steps that can help minimize their impact, such as keeping kids indoors and closing windows in the early morning when the spring tree pollen count is highest, not hanging clothes outside to dry and bathing kids at bedtime to help minimize nighttime allergies.

* Protect skin from the damaging effects of spring sun. After being indoors for much of the winter, kids are eager to spend as much time outdoors as possible. To protect their skin during the spring months, break out the sunscreen and their favorite hats. When choosing a sunscreen for a baby, toddler or young child, look for a product that offers broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection with a minimum SPF of between 15 and 30. Also consider a product that is water resistant and one that is hypoallergenic and free of fragrance.

* Don't forget about eye protection. The lenses of children's eyes are extremely sensitive. Just as taking care of kids' skin can help prevent skin cancer in adulthood, eye protection can protect kids' eyes from developing certain conditions, like cataracts and macular degeneration, later in life. Everyone, including kids, should wear sunglasses year-round, but especially during spring and summer. Make sure to choose sunglasses that provide 100 percent UV protection. Hats with brims large enough to shade the eyes, while not as effective as sunglasses, also offer moderate protection from the sun.

Information by: http://fwnextweb1.fortwayne.com/adv/special/2010/springfever/article0014.html

Christmas Tree Safety

Tips to Keep Your Holidays Safe and Enjoyable

A Christmas tree is a sight to behold by the families who take the time to decorate one. Here are some tips to keep your tree from becoming a safety hazard for your kids.

As the holiday season approaches, you will fill your home with pretty decorations, lights and gifts that will catch your toddler’s eye and insatiable curiosity. When you have a little one in your home, you always make sure that you have covered electrical outlets and that you keep candles out of reach, but have you considered Christmas tree safety as well? Here are some tips to keep your child safe around the Christmas tree this season.

Consider Using an Artificial Tree

It is true that real Christmas trees look and smell fabulous, and it is hard to duplicate that with an artificial tree. However, when you have young children in the home, an artificial tree may be in order. If your child suffers from allergies, then he or she may develop respiratory problems around a real tree. Also think about the needles that a real tree drops to the floor. Even if you find the freshest tree you can, you will still have sharp needles falling. Young children may choke on these needles or if you have a crawler, then they can get poked. In addition, a real tree becomes dry and brittle after awhile and can pose a fire hazard, especially with all the lights on your tree. There are many beautiful artificial trees that will look just as good.

Off the Hook

The next thing you will want to consider when you are thinking about Christmas tree safety around your children are the hooks that are often used on your decorations. While these are inexpensive and easy to use, they can hurt your child. Now is the time to get rid of those sharp hooks and use something else for hanging. Consider using pretty ribbon instead. Not only will this be much safer, but it enables your child to hang decorations on the tree without help.

Pack Away the Breakables

Chances are that you have Christmas tree decorations that you love. Maybe they were handed down to you from your grandmother or mother. If they are breakable, then you will want to pack these away until your children get a little older. Instead of using your most expensive or collectible ornaments when your child is small, use this as an excuse to decorate your tree with plenty of child-made (and non-breakable) ornaments. All young children will be curious about those pretty balls and baubles. Accidents do happen, so make sure that falling ornaments will not break. The same goes for ornaments with very small pieces. These could pose a choking hazard to your child. Keep them off the tree for now.

Read more at Suite101: Christmas Tree Safety for Kids: Tips to Keep Your Holidays Safe and Enjoyable | Suite101.com http://homemanagement.suite101.com/article.cfm/christmas_tree_safety_for_kids#ixzz0ZydNmCFE

Winter Nutrition!

Good food for high-performance health:

With the right foods, your kids can stay happy and healthy all winter long. Here’s good advice on power-packed foods that help kids perform at their peaks — and how to get your kids to love them.

Beat the bugs:

Since winter is the season for sniffles and coughs, help your kids beat the bugs by boosting their immune systems through nutrition. Vitamin C scores big in the fight against the common cold. At mealtime, add garlic and onion — two potent anti-cold agents — to sauces and soups. Zinc fends off colds, too, and kids will eat it up when you serve it via whole grain breads, nuts, beans, peas and hard cheeses. Also, vitamin-rich fruit smoothies satisfy cravings for sweets, and pectin-rich apple dishes fan cold-fighting flames in young bodies.

Add mental muscle:

Good nutrition is about more than revving up your kids to run through their daily paces. When you add mental muscle — teaching them the whys of healthful eating — you raise children who will run the race with wise eating habits.

Fix fun foods:

You need to make smart choices for kids at this stage. Left to their own devices, they’ll eat anything — trust us! Plan creative snack times. Young children need smaller, more frequent meals, so think of snacks as meals. Choose healthful foods such as dried fruit or cereal in fun shapes. Use cookie cutters to transform whole grain breads into fun animals (anybody want to nibble on a dinosaur?) and show your child that healthful choices can also be fun.

Stash wisely:

Teach these eager learners the whys and hows of smart eating to encourage a lifetime of good food choices. Stash nutritious snacks they can enjoy between meals. Stock your kitchen with fresh and dried fruit, cut-up veggies, whole grain cereals, whole wheat crackers, pretzels and cheese. Add 100 percent fruit juice to seltzer water as a fizzy replacement for soda. Try new foods together. At mealtime, fill kids' plates with small servings of all foods offered at that meal. Tell them they don't have to clean their plates unless they want seconds.

Reinforce goals:

Give older kids plenty of structured opportunities to practice what you have taught them about healthful eating. Talk about nutrition together. Have family members take turns being the official "Family Food Coach" in setting lifestyle goals that support good health. Get everyone thinking by asking, "What’s a fun way to eat more vegetables?" Focus on manners, too. Teach your kids how to graciously say "no" to poor choices with comebacks such as, "Would it be OK if I had more carrots and dip instead?"

All activities should be parent supervised. Parents, please make sure that the tools and items needed for a project are appropriate for your child.


This information brought to you by:
http://www.nesquik.com/adults/healthandnutrition/articles/nutritionignition.aspx

Winter Fitness - By Kelly Burgess

Winter can make staying fit a real challenge. While playing in the snow is fun, sometimes it's too cold to even do that safely. Sometimes there isn't even any snow – it's just cold! Parking yourself in front of the TV or video games not only leads to weight gain, but kids can get pretty rowdy if they're cooped up without a physical outlet for their energy.

No one knows that better than Debi Pillarella, M.Ed., C.P.T., a nationally recognized expert on children's fitness and the mother of two boys, ages 8 and 10. "My sons are typical boys; they like video games just like other kids, but they do have a time limit," she says. "I use timers a lot, and I'll just tell them it's time to go and get some physical activity. I've made it a habit, just like brushing their teeth or going to bed."

In the House
If you have an unfinished basement, as the Pillarella's do, kids can rollerblade and even play soccer or baseball with some softer equipment. Pillarella also suggests the following:
Create a Bucket O' Fitness Fun:

Jump ropes
Resistance bands
Hacky sack balls
Nerf balls
Light weights
Hula hoops
Bouncing balls
Cones
Bean bags
Create a Gym-like Atmosphere:

Mats
Fitness stations
Fun music
Weights (empty milk jugs filled with water)
VCR/CD player and TV with fitness tapes

Play Fun Fitness Games:

Balloon relays
Cotton ball (as "snow" balls) fights
Indoor Olympics
Fitness Jar Fun (pick an activity out of a jar)

Many of the above activities can be done as a family or just by the children. When the kids are younger, Pillarella says it's very important to get involved in the physical activity. Parents are important guides and teachers in how to be active. However, as they get older, say older elementary to middle school, parents can step back a little more and expect children to be active on their own, so they know how without always having Mom right there. This is particularly important as they move into their teen years and become naturally more sedentary. At that age, it's not wise to force them because they'll resist, but if they have the tools they may continue an active life.

Imagination Station

Melinda Sothern, a licensed clinical exercise physiologist and a research faculty member and director of the Pediatric Obesity Clinical Research Section at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and the author of Trim Kids™: The Proven 12-Week Plan That Has Helped Thousands of Children Achieve a Healthier Weight (Harper Resource, 2001), agrees that kids need to be directed to fitness activities and given plenty of opportunity to be active. She invented the concept of the Imagination Station, which can be set up anywhere in the house. Sothern says the Imagination Station should include these things:

A couple of old mattresses on the floor so everyone can jump from one to another
Boom box for dancing to the music
Hula hoops
Jump ropes
Skip it
Foam mats and wedges to jump and roll around on
Cardboard boxes for imaginative play
Hopscotch mat
An action game like Twister™
A plastic tub filled with costumes and other dress-up accessories
Toy musical instruments for a marching band
Microphone to imitate the cool moves of your favorite singer
Batons, small flags, pom-poms
Play tents or make one out of furniture and sheets
Indoor basketball hoops with soft basketballs
Soft, indoor baseball mitts and gloves
Juggling balls
Kid-safe dart boards and other target games

Sothern also says that exercise equipment, such as treadmills, traditionally used by adults can be used by older children, as long as they're well-supervised. She cautions that it will become boring to them fairly quickly. Pillarella also notes that studies show that because a child's thermo regulatory system works differently than adults, short bursts of activity, such as they get when they play, are more effective to achieve fitness than longer sessions, such as 30 minutes on a treadmill.

While exercising at home is always handy and can be done even with only short amounts of free time, sometimes it's fun to get out and do something different. One ideal way for everyone to get active would be to join a gym, either one that targets the whole family or one that is just for kids.
Matthew Hendison, executive vice president of marketing and entertainment for My Gym Enterprises, says kids love the activities offered by gyms targeted specifically for them. "When kids can't get out to play, either because it's not safe or is too hot or too cold, a gym targeted to their age group can be a great benefit," he says. "Everything is focused on their abilities and size."

Gyms for kids are a good choice if the local gym doesn't have any programs for kids; they are also a good choice for city dwellers. Pillarella says that if families are looking for a gym membership everyone can use, be sure they offer programming for all ages. Here are some things to look for:

Children's programming. Be sure this is targeted toward specific fitness activities and is not just a supervised play area or daycare.
Be sure the personal trainers have certifications in working with children.
Family activities, or not. If parents prefer working out alone while their children work out elsewhere, be sure this is not a gym where everyone works out together.
Same advice for those who do want to work out with their children.
Programming for teens. This should be less structured and more fun. Tennis, for example, is an activity most teens enjoy.
Not everyone can afford a gym membership, but there are plenty of other out-of-the-house activities that can be done indoors with little or no cost. Pillarella suggests one of the following activities:

Mall walking
Bowling
Indoor water park/pools
Climbing walls
Fun centers
School gyms (open after school gym time)
Indoor skating rinks
Also, don't forget just old-fashioned outings that don't seem like exercise; going to a museum, for example. Pillarella says to wear a pedometer, and you may be surprised how far you've walked on a day when you just thought you were having fun.

Information found at:
http://www.iparentingfitness.com/articles/family-fitness/fit-as-a-family-4428/