Get Off Your Butt! Get Moving People!
On Tuesday, ParticipACTION, which promotes healthy living and physical activity in Canada, unveiled their 2015 Report Card On Physical Activity for Children and Youth. The results are pathetic, with a D- for overall physical activity, in part because just nine per cent of five to 17-year-olds meet daily recommendations of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. This grade remains unchanged since 2013. Apparently we haven’t changed our behaviour.
The report titled, “The Biggest Risk is Keeping Kids Indoors,” demonstrates that way too many kids (and their caregivers) spend far too many hours inside, most likely interacting with screens, and too few hours outside.
As most of us know, regular physical activity is associated with improved cardiovascular and metabolic health such as lowered blood pressure and decreased risk of diabetes. Emotional well-being and mental health are improved as well, with a smaller risk to depression and anxiety in those who are most active.
The study highlights a few important points:
• Kids move more, sit less, and play longer when they are outside.
• Outdoor play is safe — the risk of a stranger abduction in Canada is one in 14 million and the risk of death as a pedestrian playing outside is less than death while in a car.
• Spending time in front of screen increases the risk of cyber-predators and violence.
• Inactivity increases the risk of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
So what should we do? I think this is easy. Get off your butt and go outside, AS A FAMILY. Enough is enough; we need to change our culture and our sedentary ways. TV can wait, email can wait. This blog can wait.
Let’s work together to change this pathetic D- to an A, or at least a B. Your kids, your heart and your mind will thank you for it.
To read the rest of the article in the Huffington Post, click here.
 
Quick Tips:
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Get off your butt
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Get outside
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Make it fun
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Play as a family – role modelling is key!
Dina is a wife, mother of 4, and adrenaline junky. She loves to share children’s health information from her professional and personal experience. More About Dr Dina.
