Get Up and Go!
(From Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication, April-May 2009 v35 i8 p.6 [2]. Available online in Kids InfoBits, which includes ReadSpeaker text-to-speech technology. Free trial. Full Text © 2009 Weekly Reader Corp.)
Summer is almost here, and for many kids that means time off from school. But you don't have to take time off from your plans to Get Up and Go!
In fact, many of the ways that people spend the pleasant days of spring and the warm days of summer are also ways to exercise. "Take advantage of going outside more," says exercise physiologist Len Saunders. He suggests swimming, hiking, bike riding, or taking a daily family walk.
Many families all over the country, and even the world, have pledged to make time for family exercise on Saturday, May 9, as part of an event called PACES Day. The special day grew out of Project ACES, an idea Saunders came up with 21 years ago. ACES stands for All Children Exercise Simultaneously. Schools across the nation participate in Project ACES. You may have done it in school yourself. Saunders hopes young people will exercise with Next, Saunders hopes young people will exercise with their families on PACES Day.
But you don't have to exercise together just one day a year! Saunders has a list of 52 ideas for family exercise online at www.pacesday.com. That's one activity for every week of the year. The ideas include:
- playing baseball
- bicycling
- taking part in a game of catch
- walking at an amusement park or fair
- roller-skating
- working in a garden
- playing football
- going to a playground
Those activities are all a lot easier to do when it's nice outside. But you know what they say about April showers! That's no problem, Saunders says. Even if it is raining and you are inside watching TV, you can "commercial-cize."
How does that work? "Every time a commercial comes on TV, your family can exercise together," he says. Try balancing on one foot, or do lunges, sit-ups, or toe touches.
In the Swing of Things
What sport combines walking, strength building, hitting, and improving hand-eye coordination, with the bonus of getting fresh air?. It's golf! Golf isn't just for grandparents and for people who live in the country. Groups are bringing golf to young people all over the United States. Golf also helps kids develop values such as responsibility, honesty, integrity, respect, and confidence, according to the organization The FirstTee. Learn more about golf at www.thefirsttee.org and www.Junlorlinks.com.
Take a Hike!
Spring is a perfect time to get outside and get walking, You can walk around the block, for sure, but have you ever taken a hike? You don't need to live near a mountain or forest, or have special gear, or make it an all-day affair. You can take a hike in a city park. Just be sure to be safe; if you're new to the trail, seek the help of someone who knows the area, and don't go it alone. If you're just getting started, check out a National Trails Day event near you on June 6. Last year, there were nearly 1,000 events held on that day nationwide. Learn more about National Trails Day at www.amedcanhiking.org/ntd.aspx.
Find more ways to bring play into your life at: www.weeklyreader.com/getupandgo.
Special thanks to Get Up and Go! adviser Debi Pillarella, M.Ed., C.P.T., youth fitness expert and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.