Studies have suggested about a quarter of 2 to 5 year olds and one-third of school-age children are overweight or obese in the US. The trend appears to be moving in the wrong direction. We need to do something.
I was honored to spend some time with Sam’s Kindergarten Class of 22 kids to teach them more on the importance of health and fitness! These kids are mostly 6 year olds. They are at a CRITICAL time in their lives to develop healthy behaviors to last a lifetime. They are watching us and learning from us. They often model behaviors we consistently demonstrate. Nobody is perfect (trust me), but of course we should do our best to promote healthy lifestyle!
I discussed with the class the importance of health and fitness including…
- Stronger immune system (fight colds and disease)
- More energy
- Stronger muscles and bones
- Healthy heart
- Mental health
- Improve mood and sleep
…among other benefits!
I had the class tell me their favorite activities to stay active and healthy. Some great responses from the Kindergarten Class including outdoor play, workouts, sports and games!
I then had Sam and Naomi help me lead a short workout of cardio (march, hop), squats, arm curls, shoulder press, pushups, abs and stretch exercise (30 sec each on cardio and 6 reps each otherwise to celebrate Sam’s recent birthday:) It took about 5 minutes and the kids loved it (see pic above)!
SO MUCH FUN and rewarding to work with the kids. After class we played on the playground during recess and I later joined them in a healthy (mostly) lunch in the cafeteria!
It is time to reverse the trend of obesity in school-age children (and adults, for that matter). We can make a collective difference!
So, how does that song go???
“I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way!”
– Whitney Houston from GREATEST LOVE OF ALL
