Kids & Teens
What Do You Think a Trainer’s Role Should Be in Helping Kids Get Fit?
I think the biggest role a trainer has in helping kids is leadership. Lead by example, lead by educating and lead by making exercise fun and enjoyable. The statistics are scary, [indicating that life expectancy for today’s children could be shorter than it is for their parents, because of obesity]. It is our duty as fitness professionals to recognize that children need our help in a lot more ways than we can imagine.
Mom’s Workload and Childhood Obesity Linked?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 71% of moms were employed in 2007. Some research has shown an association between mothers who work and children with higher BMIs. A recent study published in Child Development (2011; 82 [1], 66–81) suggests that the length of a mother’s employment may be more associated with her child’s BMI, as opposed to the fact of employment alone.
Tell Your Kids to Take a Hike
Want a great way to combine family time and physical activity? Head into the great outdoors and take a hike. “Getting kids outside is more important than ever,” states outdoor enthusiast Jeff Alt. “Television, computer and video game addictions are replacing outdoor playtime. Passive inside entertainment is contributing to the national obesity epidemic.” Here are Alt’s tips for getting kids excited about hiking:
Facebook and eating disorders in adolescent girls
Eating disorders and disordered eating already comprise very complex sets of thoughts and behaviors. Past studies have shown that women and girls are most vulnerable. Can exposure to media such as Facebook make young girls even more susceptible?
energy drinks could pose serious risk for youth
Think twice before letting your young clients or your own children swig energy drinks.
New research from pediatric researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine shows that these beverages may pose a risk for “serious adverse health effects in some children, especially those with diabetes, seizures, cardiac abnormalities, or mood and behavior disorders.”
Obesity Rates High Among Infants and Toddlers
As obesity rates continue to rise, it seems all sectors of the population are affected. A newly published study of 16,400 children born in the United States in 2001 has revealed that 31.9% of 9-month-old babies and 34.3% of 2-year-olds were obese or at risk for obesity. The study appeared in the January/February issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion (2011; 25 [13], 190). Hispanic children and children from lower-income families had the highest obesity risk of all populations. Male children were at greater risk than female children.
do parents really influence kids’ eating habits?
Lead by example. The nut doesn’t fall far from the tree. A chip off the old block. These aphorisms all fit the time-honored tradition of children adopting good behaviors—which hopefully include healthy eating habits—when these are modeled by adults, right? Not so, says a team of researchers from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, the National Institute on Aging and the University of Zaragoza in Spain, who reported in the December 2010 Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health that setting a solid example goes only so far.
Falcons Set Guinness Record
In the January 2011 issue of IDEA Fitness Journal, it was reported that the Washington Redskins football team set a record for the largest virtual exercise lesson for kids. That record was recently shattered by the Atlanta Falcons, who hosted a morning exercise class for 2,288 children at the Georgia Dome. According to the Falcons’ website, the event was also streamed live on the Internet so children throughout the state could participate in the half-hour workout.
Strength Training Benefits Kids, Says Study
It has been recognized that resistance training can be an important component of adolescent fitness. But does age play a role in muscular adaptation? According to a study published in Pediatrics (2010; 126 [5], e1199–e1210), the answer is “yes.” Researchers from the German Sport University Cologne combed through 42 previously published studies of more than 1,700 children and teenagers. The subjects in the studies had been assigned to perform strength training using free weights or machines.
Pilates for Teens; Video Evaluation for Instructors
I thoroughly enjoyed Zoey Trap’s article “Pilates: Tools for Teen Athletes” in IDEA Fitness Journal [Inner IDEA, November–December 2010]. I’ve always been an advocate of using the principles of Pilates not only literally, but figuratively, as metaphors for life. I applaud her for commencing with the teen market.
President’s Council Expands
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports has changed its name and extended its reach to include nutrition. “This year we’re expanding the work of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition to include not just a focus on active lifestyles, but healthy eating, too,” stated First Lady Michelle Obama in a press release.
Childhood Obesity Rates Increase Worldwide
Childhood obesity rates climbed 10% for all United States children and 18% for female children between 2003 and 2007, according to a recent issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (July 2010; 164 [7], 598–607). Utah and Mississippi showed an overweight prevalence of 23.1% and 44.5%, respectively, among kids aged 10–17 years.
Resistance Training and Cardiovascular Exercise for Obese Youth
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), children and teens should be physically active for at least 60 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week. This recommendation states that the 60 minutes may be accrued in “smaller chunks” of time throughout the day (HHS 2010). However, Troiano et al. (2008) report that only 8% of youth aged 12–19 years are active for a full 60 minutes per day.
Washington Redskins Get Kids Moving en Masse
On Tuesday, September 21, 2010, the Washington Redskins football team hosted the largest virtual exercise lesson in world history. According to information on the Redskins’ website, 646 boys and girls from the Washington, DC, area filled FedExField for a 30-minute workout. The workout was led by players such as Andre Carter and Chris Cooley and was viewed on 100-foot-wide HD video boards. Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb wandered among the children, offering cheers and words of encouragement.
Exercise Associated With “Smarter” Kids
Studies suggest that children who are physically active also perform better on exams and tend to experience fewer behavioral problems. A study published in Developmental Neuroscience (2010; 32 [3], 249–56) suggests that exercise also has a positive effect on brain structure. More specifically, cardiovascular fitness is positively associated with structure and function of the basal ganglia, a group of structures involved with voluntary movement and attention.
Educate the Parent, Empower the Young Athlete
If you’re fortunate enough to work with children and adolescents, you’ve likely fielded thousands of questions and concerns from parents regarding the safety and validity of organized physical training. Parents…
empowering kids to make healthy choices
Cranberries aren’t just for chutneys and turkeys. Try this delicious salad for something light and bright this new year! For the Vinaigrette 1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed cranberries 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon (tbs) finely chopped shallot or green onion,
school-based intervention can help obese kids
A study reported in the June 27 online edition of The New England Journal of Medicine shows that school-based programs focusing on nutrition and exercise are successful at helping children who are most at risk for obesity.
fun, engaging resources teach kids about food choices
Kids learn by example, right? Most are not getting food education in school, and with the family home-cooked meal becoming an anachronism in our fast-paced lives, where will they learn food rules for life—or at least get a framework for healthy eating habits?Carole Carson, author of From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction (Hound 2007), has gathered these free interactive kids’ nutrition resources to help teach kids the basics about nutrition. Pass them along to your clients as a handout, or post them on your facility walls.
Marks & Spencer Plus-Sized School Uniforms Sell Out
Demand always seems to beget supply. In the case of schoolchildren in the United Kingdom, that demand takes the form of plus-sized school uniforms. To meet the needs of the increasing number of overweight and obese UK children, retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) created plus-sized school uniforms designed for 3- to 16-year-olds. According to the Daily Mail’s MailOnline, the company stocks sizes of blazers and trousers for 4-year-olds that would normally be worn by 8-year-olds. Further, most available sizes in the “M&S Plus Fit” range sold out within 1 week.