Keeping Kids Active When
School Is Out
Summer. Time
for camp,
water parks…
and weight gain? A
new study suggests that
for the youngest students,
summer months
may be worse than the school year when it
comes to preventing obesity.
Charting Weight Changes
About 5,400 children from 310 schools were tracked during kindergarten, first grade and the summer in between. Their body mass index—a measure of their weight and height, as compared to other kids their age—increased faster and at a more uneven rate during the summer. The difference between schooltime and summertime was especially large in children who were already overweight.Researchers think children may eat more during the summer, when the days are less structured. Also, physical education during the school year may help kids burn extra calories.
Warm-Weat her Workouts
Just like adults, kids need to balance the calories they eat with the calories they burn to prevent extra pounds. That means healthy eating and an hour of physical activity on all or most days of the week.Try these tips to stave off summer weight gain in your children:
- Plan active vacations. Hike in the mountains or bike around a new city.
- Limit television and video games to two hours a day or less.
- Encourage outside play. Hopscotch, swimming, tag and hideand- go-seek all count as exercise.
- If she’s interested, sign your child up for a summer sports league.
- Walk with your family instead of driving to visit friends or run errands in the neighborhood.
Try the Youth Fitness Assessment Program
Fort HealthCare offers a Youth Fitness Assessment Program that kids can participate in this summer. The client fills out a general medical history questionnaire and activity interest checklist. Body mass index and body fat are calculated. The client also participates in a cardiovascular assessment and strength and agility testing. After the assessments, a sportsmedicine professional talks with the client and his or her parents to recommend a home program to meet their fitness goals.
Susan Long, LAT
“In the past, I’ve caught some things with clients that could’ve developed into a major injury or a chronic condition,” stated Long. “By making a few recommendations on stretching or weight training, I’ve helped them limit their chance for injury.
