Start With A Warm-Up
Even though children always seem ready to run and play, they still need time to warm up just as adults do. Keep in mind that they can’t regulate their body temperature as efficiently as an adult can so they need to gradually increase intensity.

Spend Time On Sports
Hand made sports equipment is easy to make and a blast for young children to use. You can make scoops out of soda bottles, hoops out of hose (see youtube videos below), hockey sticks out of mini brooms, and frisbees out of plastic lids from coffee cans, to name a few. Keep and store for future classes.

Burn Fat
To really improve children’s cardiovascular system and burn fat, they need to move continuously for at least 20-30 minutes a day. That may seem like a challenge, especially with their shorter attention span. String together a variety of games and dances so that children will pay attention to each one, one after another, which will result in a longer training effect.

Build Muscle
Preschool children can build muscle through the use of resistance exercise. Muscle is vital in obesity prevention as it helps boost metabolism. This can be done by using children’s own body weight such as in simple versions of sit ups, push ups, squats and lunges. Or, by using fun props like bean bags, partially filled water bottles, tug of war ropes, elastic bands and tubing.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h
Growing muscles need extra stretching to help ease the tightness from even faster growing bone. Remember to stretch after each exercise session being sure to include all of the major muscle groups.

For help with ideas on specific exercises, check out the Preschool Activity Ideas eBook shown on this page as well as these free monthly P.E. video activities here: http://bit.ly/5gui7t There is a database with over 90 ideas total here: http://bit.ly/c8q7da And, YouTube videos here: http://bit.ly/9tHW5W and http://bit.ly/b1Lg24

Good luck this fall. Keep those little ones active!!

If you feel strongly that preschool children need daily physical activity, please sign and pass along our fitness petition here: http://bit.ly/dsyXyh

Sounds reasonable but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Most parents DON’T make sure their children make healthy food choices because THEY don’t make healthy food choices for themselves. They are part of the obesity problem. They need help themselves.

We’re living in a time when young parents may never have even eaten vegetables while growing up. Their kids certainly are not going to learn any healthier habits from them. Jamie Oliver demonstrated that young kids don’t even know the names of vegetables, let alone eat them daily. Unless of course we’re talking about salsa and french fries.

No one likes government telling people what to do but in this case it may just be the only way we’re going to get out of this childhood obesity epidemic. If current parenting methods were working, childhood obesity wouldn’t have tripled over the last 20 years. Kids need help and they need it fast. We don’t have time to wait or expect parents to do something that they’ve proven they aren’t going to do.

Does anyone get irate over having to wear seat belts. No. Another example of legislation taken because too many people were dying and the only way to get people to wear a seat belt was to mandate it. No one complains about seat belts. Or helmets. Or fluoride in water. Isn’t the obesity pandemic as important? Doesn’t it claim far more lives than some of these other things?

The most important point missed in all this is the impact that early associations have in the brain. Repeatedly pairing toys, games and popular movies with unhealthy foods produces a culture of children that grow up believing these foods are good for you. They’re fun. They create fond memories. Memories which are extremely difficult to reprogram later on. They’re familiar and comforting. Remember candy cigarettes? Big tobacco companies know when kids pretend to smoke a candy cigarette they’re associating smoking with fun and future adult behavior. Why do you think they ever started making them – certainly not for additional income from candy sales. The same holds true with fast food establishments. They’re brilliant in the way they seduce young children with irresistible toys to build their future market. It may seem “cute” to see a baby with a french fry in their mouth before they even have teeth but the fast food companies see it more than just cute. They’re rejoicing as another lifelong customer is being cultivated. By the time a child is actually old enough to reason and make a choice, it’s far too late. Fast food companies know this. It’s all part of their marketing plan. All health professionals need to study them and take notes. Once WE start using these techniques to promote wellness, they won’t have such an easy time getting and keeping lifelong customers.

If parents are not able to resist the temptation of convenient, cheap meals that have become a mainstay in their own diet for years what should we do? Let the fast food companies continue luring in our innocent children? Let kids get fatter and fatter? Or does something need to be done, even if it means laws and mandates. Something has to change the status quo. We don’t live in a society where parents have rotted out teeth anymore. If we had waited for toothless parents to start getting their children to brush their teeth and drink fluoridated water, we’d all still be waiting.

We need to break this cycle. Once we have a healthier new generation in the making, there won’t be any need for lawsuits and bans. People aren’t shooting themselves over having to wear helmets anymore. And I haven’t heard of any recent campaigns to go back to not having to wear seat belts. These things are forgotten and just a part of life now. These laws didn’t hurt anyone’s liberties yet they saved countless lives. And money.

EVERYONE needs to be held accountable for the obesity problem. That means parents, schools, Corporate America and the government. Two year old’s today are the adults of tomorrow. They need help, let’s take it anywhere we can get it.

Now this mother never, EVER let her child eat Lucky Charms cereal, or any other sugar loaded, non-nutrient based selection. But now, thanks to the school, her child is asking for Lucky Charms at home!

Did this slip by the school staff as a harmless motivator (Similar to my earlier post called Smarties Make You Smart). Are they convinced that Lucky Charms somehow has “whole grain” goodness and is a perfectly good breakfast selection? Or is it one single teacher who is not cognizant of the national crisis going on here with eating habits and obesity? When is the educational system going to realize that these little actions are what teach our children just as much as policies and curriculum. I don’t get it.

What do you think about this story? Do you have a similar one to share? I’m sure it’s not an isolated case. And, I should mention that this school district has a terrific nutritional program – stellar. They’re commended all the time for their nutrition education. If this is one of the better schools in regards to nutrition resources, what are the mediocre ones doing?

How can you be sure your child won’t become obese?  What are the warning signs?  Is there anything you can do now to help prevent the possibility?  Asking a medical professional to assess your child is a great first step.  By looking at standard growth charts, a pediatrician will be able to tell if weight gain is at a healthy level or already cause for alarm.  In addition, take a look at the following behavioral factors that can signal future obesity issues.

What foods are your child’s favorites?

If your child eats few fruits and vegetables it’s time to start introducing more into their diet now.  The vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other important nutrients in fruits and vegetables are key in disease prevention.  They also help make kids feel full on very few calories.

Does your child most often like to move and play or prefer to sit and watch?

Each child has a natural inclination to be active or not.  If your child prefers more sedentary activities you’ll need to pay extra attention to make sure there’s plenty of opportunity for movement and offer a variety of movement options so that your child can find at least one form of exercise that they are really excited about and have fun doing.  If your child is naturally active that’s great.  But, be sure to encourage their love of movement and keep it going.

Does your child have an opportunity to be moderately physically active for at least an hour a day?

Check on your preschool to see what kinds of movement is part of the school day.  Keep track of TV or screen time vs. active time at home. Separate what is easiest for you and what is best for your child. Going to the park may be the last thing you may want to do but exactly what your child needs if they’ve been sitting around all day.

How often does your child eat fast food?

Fast food consumption is related to obesity levels, so the more fast food your child eats, the greater the chance they’ll put on weight. Instead of opting for a quick trip to the drive through, plan easy to make meals that your child can actually help with. Like making salads and sandwiches. Also, take your child grocery shopping with you. Kids are more eager to try and eat foods that they have had a choice in selecting. And remember, you can limit the choices so that ANY choice is a good choice (i.e. Which flavor of yogurt would you like?).

What is YOUR fitness level and weight?

Undoubtedly, your own behavior and attitudes will affect your child more than anything else.  YOU are their biggest role model.  To really make sure your child will lead a fit life, spend some time making sure your own will lead to health and wellness.  Children look up to parents, expect them to know best and teach them about the most important things in life.  By taking charge of your own health and keeping fit yourself, your children will naturally want to follow.

I immediately thought of the numerous times that I rushed to the aid of a screaming child, at the hands of an abusive parent. The younger the child, the more incensed I become. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in the grocery store aisle, at a department store or Costco. I’m not talking about a child throwing a temper tantrum either. The bottom line is abuse. When a child is clearly being hit, emotionally taunted or talked down to why is it that everyone looks the other way? I just can’t do that.

So, needless to say, I’ve had my share of adults turn their anger and aggression on me. Direct their rage at me, because I have no problem going up to them and saying that their child isn’t property. That when he/she grows up and can’t stand them that this will be the reason why. That they should be reported for child abuse.

Sure, it’s probably because they’ve just been embarrassed in public but did they not have any awareness that their abusive behavior was yelling for attention? Why wasn’t THAT embarrassing? I never got in a fight over it but you can imagine the type of people that would act this way in public ARE the kind of people who would have no problem getting in a fight with an adult.

The last case in point happened Christmas Eve. I had to run to the grocery store for a quick item and was about to get in line. A little boy about 8-9 was standing in front of me with nothing in his hands and the line was moving. So, he did what any polite person would do and told me to go in front of him. I did. As soon as I stepped in front, his mother showed up and started yelling at him. I tried to hold off, I really did. It was Christmas Eve, after all. But when she started mouthing off saying “Did SHE crowd in front of you?” I couldn’t let it go.

I looked right at her, told her I didn’t push my way in and that her child was kind enough to let me go in front. She was livid, her eyes were almost glowing red. She proceeded to ream her child out, asking him why he didn’t listen to her, that she was going to let him have it, etc. I told her to leave him alone, that she wasn’t even in line and he did the right thing. At that moment I saw his face, looking like he was caught in between two worlds. One that saw some value in his little life and the other that was going to provide unending fear for the next 10 years of it. I felt sorry for him.

His mother didn’t like it when I told her she should stop being abusive to him. She felt she was entitled to treat him like trash, he “belonged” to her. That I shouldn’t tell him he did a good thing by NOT listening to his mother. And that if I thought that was abuse, she would show me what real abuse was. All this with slews of onlookers and Christmas carols playing triumphantly in the background.

Anyway, since it was Christmas time, I asked the checker to take her first since she obviously was in a big hurry and might stop being abusive to her child. She went off again. So I checked out. As I left I looked back and gave her one comment: “Merry Christmas”. Too bad she wasn’t listening. I still think about that child…

I’m sure others have had confrontations with people regarding young children. What is it that YOU just can’t tolerate? Any situations that make your skin crawl enough to speak up? Or, an example like the one above that you were a part of? Let me know. I need to know if I’m abnormal or the majority of others are numb.

Years later I tried contacting the various certification companies.  Now the issue was liability.  Not only were they not interested but the concept of teaching young children was met with hands in the air, as if it could lead to a serious infection if it was even talked about.  The message:  just don’t go there.

Recently I did get the chance to present the topic at several different national fitness conferences.  I ranted, I raved.  I tried to convey my deep sense of devotion that we need to start teaching the value of fitness and healthy lifestyle habits during the preschool years.  Even if not from a moral standpoint, how about from a monetary view?

Those in the fitness industry listen to this:  What is going to happen to your business when there is no one to move up in the market to buy your goods and services?  Certainly McDonalds, Cheerios and even Camel cigarette conveyors are cognizant of the importance to market to the youngest children out there.  Why are you absent from this marketing mix?

Are you afraid?  Don’t know what to do or where to begin?  Just what can you do with children?  How much is there to learn?  Where do you go to find out?  How much time will it take?  What are the immediate returns? Is it not consistent with your ego or image of your self or current business?

Yes, all these are questions that may come up.  But they need to be answered and dealt with.  If not, children won’t be the only ones who suffer.  If children aren’t taught sports skills anymore they won’t be asking for baseball equipment or soceer balls later.  If they don’t get practice moving their bodies and feeling competent they’ll much rather choose playing a video game than looking stupid recreating around others.  If they don’t see the adults around them exercising (and more and more of them won’t) they won’t place any value on fitness or gym memberships. And, if they don’t see fit role models promoting the virtues of fitness from the start they may very well find an icon from some socially undesireable group later.

When is the fitness industry going to step up to the plate and start advocating fitness programming for young children?  I’ve been waiting 15 years.  The closest thing I’ve seen is the First Lady attempt to bring attention to it now.  All the lecturing I’ve done, pointing out the money that could be made, has fallen on deaf ears.  Why?

Don’t even think about bringing up money as an excuse.  It isn’t.  Even when funding is available, interest isn’t there.  It’s the adults here.  Adults making decisions for small children.  Children who don’t have a voice and don’t stand a chance of living a healthier life without someone caring enough to do the right thing.

If you’re in the fitness industry, when are YOU going to do something to promote the cause?  And, if you’re genuinely trying, tell your story – your achievements and disappointments.  I’d love to hear them.  Now is the time to get on board an do something.  For the kids.  For us all.

“My daughter’s weight problem stated in pre-K. Her caregivers were giving her food and making a game out of eating. They fed her 7 hot dogs and brownies. They told her that she would win a prize if she could eat just one more! When I reported them to the state, their advice was ‘remove her if you don’t like it.’ “

In these days and times do we really need to “make” childcare providers do the right thing and teach children how to eat healthy? Wouldn’t you assume a childcare center’s staff would encourage kids to stop eating when they’re full and not reward them for winning food related games? Must we spell out every scenario to be avoided – what happened to common sense?

Perhaps you think something like this is a rare occurrence.  Or that the details may have been blown out of proportion. Or, that teaching our kids how to eat right is up to parents.  It doesn’t matter, if it happens at all in a place where children spend most of their time and are expected to learn important habits.  The point is that these experiences make a permanent stamp on a child’s psyche.  Just like you can’t strike a comment from your ears that was already verbalized in a court room, kids are not going to disregard early experiences with food.  Even more so if they are frightening or confusing.

What’s it going to take?  Higher standards for preschool staff?  Fitness and nutrition requirements with stiff fines for violations? Or are we just expecting too much.  I was under the impression that teachers should be more on the ball than the students.

What do you think?  What’s your knee jerk response to this particular story?