NFL Superstars Encourage Kids to Get Moving

Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall made a confession before lawmakers this week: His own kids could use more exercise. The NFL star, who volunteered to promote children’s fitness legislation, admitted that like many kids their age, his sons play way too many video games and eat way too much fast food. Hall, who called childhood obesity an epidemic, is one of seven NFL players devoting their off-season to lobby lawmakers to pass the FIT Kids Act. The bill would require schools, districts and states to report on students’ physical activity, and to give children and their parents, access to important … Continue reading →

Study Shows Most Bullied Kids are Overweight

This fascinating new study reveals that overweight children are typically a bully’s prime targets. While you might not consider this “breaking news,” it is very revealing in that it shows that kids who are picked on avoid situations where they are bullied, such as gyms, playgrounds, and other sporting events. The very places children go to burn off calories. According to the study, roughly one out of every five children is chronically bullied, and in most cases repeated teasing and taunting leads to depression and loneliness. This finding coupled with the fact that bullies drive their victims away from physical … Continue reading →

Exercise Helps Overweight Kids Manage Anger Better

My gym teacher may have been ahead of her time when she ordered quarreling students to “walk off” their anger. According to a new study, exercise appears to reduce anger in overweight but otherwise healthy children. I always thought it was a bit hokey when my high school P.E. teacher would get between my feuding classmates, and instead of lecturing them about their behavior, she had them run laps around the track. Apparently she knew what she was doing. In a study conducted by the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, exercise was shown to have a “significant impact … Continue reading →

How Treadmills are Helping Babies with Down Syndrome

You may never look at your treadmill the same way again… According to new study, placing infants with Down syndrome on a treadmill for just a few minutes per day can help them walk up to four or five months earlier than with only traditional physical therapy. Researchers at the University of Michigan say the landmark study also suggests that infants who do high intensity treadmill training may walk even sooner. “The key is if we can get them to walk earlier and better then they can explore their environment earlier and when you start to explore, you learn about … Continue reading →

Motivating Your Kids to Move

These days that might be tougher than finding a TV commercial that’s not politically motivated. For millions of kids the idea of putting down video game controls and picking up a bike to ride is a foreign concept. This, despite the fact that the federal government recently announced new fitness recommendations for all Americans. The guidelines stipulate at least 60 minutes a day of moderate or vigorous activity for children ages 6 to 17. Federal officials also noted that parents should be creating opportunities for their children to be physically active and encouraging them to consistently participate in those activities. … Continue reading →

A New Way to Fight Childhood Obesity

Perhaps the American government could learn a lesson from South Korea… on how to curtail childhood obesity. In a plan that has shocked some families, South Korea’s health ministry officials recently announced that the government is planning to help parents of obese children pay for health club memberships and other activities that can help kids lose weight. The announcement comes on the heels of a new report, which reveals that the rate of childhood obesity in South Korea has tripled over the past three years due to a changing diet of fatty foods and a more sedentary lifestyle. According to … Continue reading →

Fall Sports and Your Child

Now that school is back in session the number of sports related injuries is on the rise. Pediatricians say they are seeing a ton of ankle injuries among young athletes now that football and soccer season has gotten underway. Most include sprains and broken bones, and in most cases, doctors say the injuries could have been prevented. If your child is an avid athlete doctors recommend reviewing the following tips in an effort to avoid unwanted trips to the emergency room: BE PROACTIVE Shoes. Doctors recommend purchasing the proper shoe for the specific sport your child is participating in. Different … Continue reading →

Kids and Fitness—One Sport or Many?

It’s a question I pondered recently when enrolling my 4-year-old in soccer. She loves playing soccer, but she also loves tumbling, swimming, golfing, and shooting hoops. So do I have her stick with a single sport at an early age, which can lead to advanced skill level and potentially a college scholarship (or if I want to dream bigger… success akin to Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Shawn Johnson, who began tumbling when she was just 3 years old) or do I enroll her in several different classes to expose her to a variety of activities? There are pros and … Continue reading →

How to Get Your Kids in Shape

In a previous blog I detailed Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps’ efforts to motivate kids to get moving. As part of his new mission to get kids interested in physical activity the swimming super star is making trips to community pools around the nation to highlight the value of fitness. Of course, the 23-year-old swimming phenom won’t be visiting every public pool in the United States so if you want to get your children off the couch and outside to burn off calories then you’re going to have to do some of the work yourself. This might be especially challenging … Continue reading →

Phelps Promotes Kids Fitness

Golden boy Michael Phelps just returned to U.S. soil yesterday and his next mission doesn’t involve winning medals; rather the muscular swimming sensation says he wants to save your child from obesity. Phleps flew back to the United States Wednesday and he is wasting no time promoting children’s fitness. This morning he got back into the water for the first time since becoming the winningest Olympic athlete in history. But, the part man-part fish specimen didn’t do so to get in his daily swim; rather the 23-year-old was trying to encourage young kids to embrace the sport of swimming the … Continue reading →