Five tips on exercising as a family
More than 26 percent of Iowa kids aged 10 to 17 are obese. That’s slightly less than the national average of more than 31 percent obesity for that age group, but more than a quarter of Iowa kids are still carrying around more weight than is healthy for them.
In adults, obesity can lead to problems such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis and back pain. Obesity often follows children into adulthood, so today’s obese kids are likely to have health problems as adults, said Kathleen Janz, a University of Iowa professor with expertise in exercise and health outcomes for children.
To tame childhood obesity, both exercise and diet need to be addressed. American children’s calorie consumption has recently begun to fall on average from its peak a few years ago, but exercise levels haven’t changed much.
In addition to being a key factor for weight control, exercise is also important for healthy bone development, which Janz said helps prevent fractures in adulthood.
Kids aged 6 to 17 should get at least an hour of exercise every day for overall health and to maintain a healthy weight. For optimal muscle and bone health, that exercise should be intense and weight-bearing for at least 15 minutes, at least three days a week. This intense activity can include jumping, hopping, climbing, tumbling and sprinting.
Only about half of 6 to 11 year olds get the recommended amount of exercise. And activity levels drop much further for 12 to 17 year olds, with only 10 percent of that age group exercising enough to realize health benefits.
“It is particularly troubling that physical activity levels decline during adolescence since it is during this stage of growth that bone is accruing most rapidly and is most sensitive to the effects of physical activity,” Janz said.
The U.S. doesn’t have official guidelines for physical activity for kids under six. But Janz said an emerging consensus is that toddlers and preschoolers should get about three hours of unstructured physical activity every day.
What’s the best way to get your kids to exercise? Exercise together!
Exercise psychology research shows that the most effective incentive to get children and adolescents to exercise is for parents to exercise with them.
“If you want active kids, it is more effective to play, walk, jog, swim or hike with your children than to tell them to do it, buy them expensive equipment, or even to serve as a role model,” she said.
Want to make fitness fun for your family? Here are five ideas to get you moving together:
1. Walk around the neighborhood. To make walks fun for younger kids, try a game of I-Spy. For bonus bone building, challenge your kids to race you by sprinting, hopping or skipping to the next driveway or tree.
More bonus points for walking your kids to school this fall. In addition to the physical benefits, research shows that kids who walk to school perform better on tests on average than those who don’t.
Have a dog who wants to tag along? Even better. Research shows that dog owners enjoy their walks more and are able to maintain weight loss longer than non-dog owners.
2. Take a family bike ride on one of the Des Moines area’s many trails. Siobhan Harman of Des Moines likes to bike with her daughters along the river trail downtown. “We take our bikes downtown, ride the river, stop at the Women of Achievement Bridge, play on the playground, walk the Botanical Center gardens, have lunch or a snack at the Hub Stop, and ride back,” Harman said. “They have so much fun they don’t realize how much physical activity they got!”
3. Challenge your kids to a game of soccer, basketball, wiffle ball or catch in your yard or neighborhood park. If your kids play sports on a team or at school, make it fun for them by asking them to give you pointers.
4. Go for a family swim after dinner. Most area pools offer discounts in the evenings. Des Moines city pools are half price from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Valley View Aquatic Center in West Des Moines is half price most evenings from 6:30 to 8:30. Holiday Aquatic Center in West Des Moines has a family night discount of $12 per family on Wednesdays and Sundays. Clive Aquatic Center has a family night discount of $15 per family on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m.
5. Turn off the electronic devices. Limit TV and electronics use, especially for kids under two. And keep TVs out of kids’ bedrooms. For those evenings when you do watch TV as a family, turn commercial breaks into fitness breaks: Challenge your kids to see who can do the most jumping jacks or pushups, or play a game of follow-the-leader around the house.
“I am not a great fan of active computer family gaming (such as Wii),” Janz said. “Most studies indicate that these games are only slightly more active than sitting-down gaming. They often fall far short of the movement variety and challenges and, I think, fun that occurs with outdoor activities and traditional games and sports.”