Kids & Teens
Kids in Motion Are Happy Kids
Kathleen Tullie, director of social purpose at Reebok International, is the cofounder and executive director of BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success). The physical activity program aims to jump-start children’s brains, improving academic performance and overall health by promoting exercise and nutrition knowledge. The program is run by moms, dads, teachers and volunteers, 2–3 days a week before or during school.
Youth Sports Training
Did you know that throughout the United States there are currently more than 35 million active athletes aged 5–18 competing in youth sports (Statistic Brain 2014)? That means there is a growing opportunity for personal trainers to offer services in a new way.
Help Parents Help Kids Get Healthy
We know that the right home environment can lay a strong foundation for health and fitness. Help your clients improve their kids’ health with these suggestions from IDEA member Jennifer Salter, director of Lifeline Personal Training in Toronto:
Gym Helps Kids Across the Spectrum
Sometimes the best ideas are born of necessity. Dina Kimmel, a mother of two, experienced difficulty finding ways to support her autistic son’s development, so she took on the challenge herself and created a “sensory gym” in her home. After seeing her son’s success with it, Kimmel decided that this type of setting should be available to others, and she opened the first We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym® for All Kids in Tarzana, California.
Fit Kids and Better Language Skills
Evidence is mounting that fit kids perform better than their unfit peers on a variety of learning tasks.
In a study conducted recently at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, researchers evaluated children as they performed reading and language comprehension exercises while wearing electrode caps. Fitness levels varied among the children, and these devices allowed the scientists to evaluate brain activity.
Kids: Go Take a Hike!
Do your kids fall short of achieving the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise? Though the weather may be turning cold (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), researchers suggest that sending children outside to play may boost weekly activity levels. Just make sure you keep kids bundled up!
Forget the Fries: Kids Say Fruits or Veggies Fine as Restaurant Sides
What if kids would eat more fruits and vegetables (FV) as sides on restaurant menus, but restaurants were simply failing to give them the option? A study that asked kids about it suggests this could well be the case.
Screen Time Weakens Boys’ Bones
Here’s more incentive to encourage boys to minimize computer use. A new study presented at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, in Seville, Spain, in April, draws a link between screen time and diminished bone mineral density.
The research, published in Osteoporosis International With Other Metabolic Bone Diseases (2014; 25 [s2]), included 1,038 Norwegian boys and girls aged 15–18.
Best Fat Loss Protocol For Obese Teens?
As obesity continues to maintain a stranglehold on the teenage population, experts search for solutions to the potentially fatal disease. When it comes to exercise, a combination of cardiovascular and strength training is best, according to researchers from Sa?o Paulo.
The Danger of Sports Specialization
Many young athletes dream of earning a scholarship to play their sport of choice at a reputable college or university. To realize that dream, they will often train extensively. Recent research found that hard training while young may lead to significant physical problems later in life.
Cash or Credit? The Psychoeconomics of Childhood Obesity
It seems that debit card purchases promote the same type of frivolity in children as in adults, but when cards are swiped to pay for school lunches, the impact goes deeper than just free spending. Kids’ food choices also become foolish, according to a study that appeared in the January issue of Obesity (2014; 22 [1], 24–26).
Preschooler Obesity Risks
According to the Food Research and Action Center website, one quarter of U.S. children aged 2–5 are overweight or obese. Researchers from the University of Illinois, Urbana, believe they have identified the top risk factors for preschool-age obesity.
The investigators surveyed 329 parent-child pairs, asking about demographics, health histories and feeding habits. There were also home visits in which assistants gathered height and weight measurements.
Obese Children and Stress Hormones
Today’s obese children aren’t just carrying around extra weight. According to researchers from Erasmus Medical Clinic, at Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, they are also carrying higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
The study observed 20 obese and 20 normal-weight children aged 8–12. To determine cortisol levels, researchers took scalp hair samples from each subject. Data showed that obese children had higher levels of hair cortisol than normal-weight children.
Preschoolers Get Health Advice From Kids’ Show’s Characters
Many experts believe that long-term healthy behaviors are more likely to take hold when developed at a young age. According to researchers from Bogota?, Colombia, learning those behaviors from Sesame Street characters might be one way to get young kids on the right track.
A Best Type Of Exercise For Obese Girls?
The top titans of exercise—resistance exercise and cardiovascular exercise—continue to duke it out for the title of best fitness protocol. When it comes to obese girls, researchers believe they have a champion: cardio.
To determine this outcome, the researchers recruited 44 obese girls, aged 12–18, and assigned them to RE, CE or a nonexercise control group for 3 months. Measures included body weight, waist circumference, oral glucose, insulin sensitivity, body fat, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness and more.
Factors Associated With Youth Athlete Injury Risk
Young athletes have a significant risk of injury. A recent study questioned whether specific factors could be associated with increased levels of risk.
Presented at the
2013 American Academy
of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, the study featured 1,206 athletes aged 8–18. Participants completed a questionnaire that asked about sports specialization; stage of puberty; and height and weight. Researchers collected the same data on the athletes every 6 months for 3 years.
New Concern for Overweight and Obese Children
Here is another reason to encourage children to maintain a healthy weight: According to a Kaiser Permanente Southern California study, children who are overweight or obese are at significant risk for developing hyper- tension.
Activity Rates Among U.K. 7- and 8-Year-Olds
Many experts believe that introducing healthy habits–like regular physical activity—at an early age can lead to a lifetime of health. It seems some people in the United Kingdom missed the memo.
Join The Fight Against Childhood Obesity
?It is well known that the United States faces a childhood obesity epidemic. In fact, 81% of respondents in a poll on the topic considered childhood obesity a serious concern and two-thirds believed the problem was getting worse (Hassink, Hill & Biddinger 2011). Actually, national surveys show a stabilization of childhood obesity rates and even small declines in some localities (RWJF 2012).
