Prevent Childhood Obesity with 60 minutes of Play
One way to help prevent childhood obesity is to make sure that kids stay physically active. Children need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. Kids are not always able to get 60 minutes of activity during the school day so it is important to find ways to include activity during the rest of the day. Now that most children are doing distance learning this creates a great opportunity for parents to encourage and promote at least 60 minutes of activity at home. Having children take short 10-minute activity breaks throughout the day counts! It all adds up to 60 minutes of activity for the day. If you are looking for some specific ways to help your child be active at home check out this past blog post for some ideas. We all know that daily physical activity can also take a back seat to electronic gadgets, computers and television. Here are some more resources out there to help get your kids up and moving.
Focus on Play: Most young children get their physical activity through play. Help create opportunities for your children to engage in play, games or recreation. Check out Greater Youth Sports and learn about one local effort to get kids involved with sports and being active.
Limit Screen Time: Children should not have endless hours of screen time each day. Since distance learning has increased the amount of time kids are online, try to off-set this time by creating more time outdoors or doing other fun activities.
Make Physical Activity a Family Affair: Check out these 10 tips to get your family active.
Places to Play: Find a park near your neighborhood. There might be local restricitions depending where you live but you can use parts of the park that are open like the fields and open space areas.
Find a Trail: Neon to Nature is a great online tool to find trails in Southern Nevada so you can get out and explore.
Limit Screen Time: Children should only have1-2 hours of screen time each day.
Play hard and Sleep Hard: Bedtime matters. Make sure your kids are getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep has been linked to increased obesity and a poor academic performance.
If you are looking for some specific ways to help your child be active at home check out this past blog post for some ideas. Start the habit of being active for 60 minutes while they are young and your kids will grow up and incorporate physical activity into their life as adults!
