Kids today are busier than ever. Between the ages of about 5 and 18 kids are developing, learning, creating, playing, obeying, acting out and discovering who they really are.
Meanwhile, they have homework, sports, music lessons, church, electronics and more to keep them wonderfully distracted and occupied at all hours every day. I know what a challenge it can be to find balance amid the chaos and I know that most kids want to do it all, have it all and thrive at the same time.
What does it mean to be a fit kid? Being fit at any age means eating well, getting plenty of physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, and having enough down time (rest) to rejuvenate. All this while keeping up with homework, chores, and extracurricular activities can be challenging for sure. When they maintain healthy fitness, their bodies function better and they have enough energy to do what they love to do.
As parents and caregivers, we can make sure to serve healthy meals and role model "fit" behavior with regular exercise, limited media exposure, and positive reinforcement. Parents can also help kids take charge of their health by stocking the pantry and refrigerator with healthy foods and planning physical activities for the family. We can also keep from overscheduling our kids.
I am one of those adults who remembers (as a child) spending all day outdoors, playing in the street, hanging out at the park, or playing hide and seek until it was too dark to really see. Nowadays many parents feel that allowing kids to play freely outdoors unsupervised is too dangerous. I get that. Instead, we involve our kids in organized, structured and supervised activities - often as many activities as possible. This may work for some kids and some families, but in general when a child is involved in too many structured activities, it can cause him or her a lot of stress. Numerous obligations can interfere with family meal-time, study time, down time and eventually lead to burn out.
So I spoke to a bunch of kids from Colorado (the only state in the United States with an obesity rate below 20%). The kids varied in age from 6 to 18 and I asked what they do to help them stay balanced and fit. Now, I'm not sure if I happened to interview a bunch of overachievers - but wow! These kids participated in 1 to 8 activities outside of school, and averaged up to 3 hours of daily vigorous physical activity. Maybe it's a Colorado thing. To stay balanced one middle school girl finds that making checklists helps. One boy wakes up early to get his homework done so that he can participate in all of his after school activities. Another boy tackles the hardest tasks first and likes to spend time with his pets if he is feeling stressed. Playing with animals actually ranked highest among the kids I interviewed in terms of helping them stay balanced. Sure enough research supports this intuitive connection. Pets provide unconditional love. Pets can help prevent depression, loneliness and decrease feelings of stress. Given the pressure that kids are under as they get older, pets can really help them feel balanced. Dogs are also more likely to get kids out for a walk!
Beth Heller-Atencio, Head of School at Montessori School of Evergreen (Colorado), has seen how "increased physical activity leads to increased mental activity." According to Heller-Atencio, "Our kids average 4 days/week of physical education in addition to the numerous experiential education opportunities off-campus that include hiking 14ers [mountains above 14,000 ft], cycling, snow shoeing, skiing, rafting, and outdoor education overnights beginning with early elementary students." If your kids are not getting enough physical activity during the day - speak up and talk to your principal or head of school.
I asked the kids if they felt that what they eat affects their performance in school. Over 90% said yes. On a scale of 1-10 I asked how important nutrition and healthy eating was to them and the average answer was 9. Heller-Atencio agrees. She sees a strong connection between thinking, attention, and concentration correlating to what the kids are eating. The school encourages a healthy snack and lunch program where a balance of whole grains, protein, fresh fruit and/or veggies are encouraged. Candy and food with artificial flavoring and/or coloring are strongly discouraged. Yet gum chewing is permitted - on a responsible basis. Research supports this policy. In a recent study out of Baylor College of Medicine, researchers found that chewing gum may have a positive effect on academic performance in teenagers. In this study, students who chewed gum demonstrated an increase in standardized math test scores and final grades were better compared to those who didn't chew gum. I believe that most "sugar-free" gums contain aspartame along with other artificial flavors and colors, and regular gum can rot the teeth, but I am a fan of natural chewing gums that are sweetened with xylitol, which has actually been shown to prevent tooth decay. Ask your local grocer to bring in natural chewing gum sweetened with xylitol. A few brands that I like include: BFresh Gum: BFreshgum.com; Glee Gum - available at select grocers and online; Spry - available at select grocersand online at XclearInc.com/Spry; Peelu Gum; and Zellies - http://www.zellies.com.
Whether you are a kid that wants to be fit or an adult with the same desire, here are my top 6 "be fit and stay balanced" habits to practice. The secret is to live out these principles most of the time, knowing that balance includes having fun and letting loose sometimes.
1. Get Moving
Discover ways to move your body every day. Sports can be a great way to get involved in the community and improve coordination, overall fitness and self-esteem. Some kids aren't natural athletes or they don't like team sports like baseball, lacrosse or soccer. Team sports are not for everyone so work together as a family to find something that sounds fun! Activities like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing, riding bikes, tennis, dancing, swimming, horseback riding, and golf are examples of fun activities that boost fitness and coordination.
2. Eat at Least One Serving of Fruit and/or Vegetable at Every Meal and Snack
A child's palate can change dramatically between the early years and high school. Be consistent with this one habit - eating your fruits and vegetables. Most of the kids I interviewed chose pasta, meat, and dairy as their favorite foods. We all have a favorite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety of foods and don't skimp on the fruits and vegetables. A good habit would be to aim for at least 2 servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables daily. That's not so hard. For example, that may mean a bowl of cereal with ½ banana in the morning, an apple for mid-morning snack. Add 6 baby carrots to your lunch. Have some celery sticks with peanut butter
and raisins (an ounce or one small box) for afternoon snack and have broccoli with dinner along with a small salad.
3. Limit Electronics
Kids and adults are still spending (wasting) too much time in front of the TV and using portable electronic gadgets. Kids, on average, start using electronic devices at age 6.7. Now, I am not judging this, I am just asking, is this really necessary? Cell phones
, IPODs and handheld gaming devices may have their place in the world but they tend to also pull us into a sort of black hole from where it becomes difficult to emerge. A new study found a link between problem cell phone use and low self-esteem. Teens who used cell phones the most were more likely to be anxious and depressed. Set boundaries around electronics. As a family commit to turning off all electronics by dinnertime. You can have a special collection basket that everyone puts their electronic devices in at dinnertime and they stay there until the next morning. This is a great practice for all of us, parents or not.
4. Schedule Down Time
Rest and relaxation are highly underrated. Kids need plenty of rest and sleep for their growing bodies and developing brains. Elementary aged kids need at least 10 hours of sleep every night and middle- and high-schoolers need an average of about 8 ¼ to 9 ½ hours. Reading together as a family, game night, meditating, journaling, and just hanging out are great ways to unwind and connect.
5. Make Family Mealtime a Priority
Sure I can tell you to eat broccoli, kale, spinach, fish, whole grains, healthy fats, etc. and that is all true and wonderful. Equally, if not more, important is eating together as a family. This is the time to connect and communicate. This is when we can find out about what is going on in our kid's lives. This is where we model healthy eating and help direct our children toward positive behavior and activities. Sitting down and eating together actually increases the likelihood that our meals will be healthier and more balanced. Teens who frequently eat with their families are less likely to have abused illegal drugs. Girls who eat at least five or more meals with their families are less likely to develop eating disorders. I know all too well how easy it is to focus on the "no" factor or shall we say what "not" to do. A perfect example is when I noticed on several of my daughter's math tests and other school works that she was doodling all over the margins. "Wow," I said. "Don't you think your teacher is going to assume you aren't paying attention with all this doodling?" About a week later I read an interesting study that found that doodling may help with memory recall. In this study from Plymouth University (United Kingdom), researchers found that doodlers outperformed non-doodlers by 29% on memory tests. Who knew?
6. Eat Breakfast
It is true - breakfast is the meal of champions. Breakfast sets the tone for the day. Don't skip it - our bodies and brains absolutely need to be fueled for wellness on all levels. Great choices include oatmeal, yogurt with berries, eggs, whole grain toast or cereal, organic milk, whole grain waffles with nut butter - just remember to balance some healthy protein with whole grains, fruit, and a little healthy fat.
Provide kids with the tools they need to get fit, maintain balance and make healthy choices. Say yes to spending time together. Say no when you have to - like when you can see your child clearly needs some down time.
BOX: Top 10 Brain Foods
Fish (deep sea cold water - like wild salmon)
Berries, Cherries (especially blueberries)
Nuts & Seeds (almonds, walnuts, cashews)
Beans & Legumes (black beans, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas)
Whole Grains (Brown rice, wheat germ)
Avocado
Oatmeal
Yogurt and organic dairy
Eggs and Lean, free-range proteins like chicken and turkey
Dark green leafy veggies (Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach)
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