Increasing Physical Activity: What Parents Can Do

Increasing Physical Activity: What Parents Can Do

What is Physical Activity (PA) ? • Any bodily movement that increases your heartrate above that at rest

Types of Physical Activity (PA) Team Sports and Activities Individual Activities

Types of Physical Activity (PA) Everyday Activities Partner Sports and Activities

Examples of Individual Activities • Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) • Resistance Bands • Hackey Sacks • Pilates • Yoga • Jogging/walking/running • Gardening • Dancing • Biking • Jump roping • Rollerblading • Kickboxing

Examples of Partner Activities • Tennis • Frisbee • Paddleball • Biking • DDR • Rowing/rafting • Badminton • Bowling • 4 Square • Hiking • Throw and catch

Examples of Everyday Activities • Active play with a child • Gardening • Household chores • Running/walking to get somewhere • Yard work • Washing windows • Vacuuming/sweeping/mopping • Washing the car • Playing with pets

Examples of Team Sports • Baseball/softball • Basketball • Flag football • Hockey • Soccer • Ultimate Frisbee • Volleyball

Why is PA important? • Health Benefits: helps prevent obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and other risk factors for chronic diseases • Energy Balance – balance the calories you take in (food you eat) with your energy expenditure (physical activity) to prevent weight gain beyond your healthy weight • Helps you with “stress” • Helps you sleep better • Makes you feel good about yourself and your body

How much PA is enough? • For children and teens • 60 Minutes of age-appropriate physical activity on all or most days of the week • Preferably moderate to vigorous • For adults • At least 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 days a week • All PA – light, moderate, vigorous – will provide health benefits for adults • Typically, the higher the intensity of the activity, the more calories burned

FACT: We all know that being physically active each day is important. CHALLENGE: How do we, as parents, help our families be more physically active?

Activity 1: Barriers • What are some challenges related to physical activity that you face in helping your family maintain a healthy weight?

If Time is a factor….. • Look for small openings in your schedule. Even 15 minutes of activity is worthwhile. • Combine physical activity with other regular activities, such as running errands. • Replace sedentary outings with active ones. Instead of going out to a movie, go to the local gym, recreation center, or YMCA/YWCA.

Activity 2: Steps you are taking List steps you have already taken to increase physical activity • For your family • For yourself

Building on your steps: • Be a positive role model • Little steps you make towards YOUR health sends a powerful message to your family • Create a “healthy weight” home environment • Make changes that promote healthy choices both in nutrition and PA • Make decisions together • Family “buy in” is important

Activity 3: Brainstorming • What are ways you can be a better role model? Ideas: join the gym, go for walks after dinner, etc (Just make exercise a priority in your life)

Activity 3: Brainstorming • What are ways you can encourage more physical activity in the home environment? Ideas: limit computer/TV time; assign chores or home projects ; provide new “equipment” (exercise videos, sport-related equipment, new shoes/clothes for exercising, etc); coordinate your schedules so that you can help them go places to explore new physical activities (to the gym, dance class, soccer practice, etc)

Activity 3: Brainstorming • What is a “healthy weight decision” that your family could make together? Ideas: Agree on a reasonable amount of time to watch TV a day; agree to get up an move each time there is a commercial on TV; agree on an active outing for the family each week

Activity 3: Brainstorming • What are ways the whole family can do something physically active together? Ideas: go on a hike; tour a local site;do yard work or another home project; volunteer to do community service outside; go camping; go to a local swimming pool together; try canoeing or rafting;

PA with Friends Peers can play an influential role in your child's life at this age, so create opportunities for them to be active with their friends. Ideas: let them decide what sounds fun; try new things

Setting Goals • Setting goals for what you hope to achieve will help keep you on track and motivated • Set realistic goals • Record your progress • Reward yourself (family) for meeting goals

Your Personal Goals for Physical Activity • Set 3 goals each week for 4 weeks • Your personal goal • Your goal for improving the home environment • Your goal for promoting a family activity

Why Teens say they don’t get enough PA • Not enough time • After school, homework, and other responsibilities, just don’t have time • Not anything fun to do • Don’t like sports and there’s nothing else for me to do at school or near my home • No one to do activities with • Don’t like to do physical activities alone • Just don’t like it! • Don’t think I’m very good at any physical activity • I would rather do other things that are more sedentary

More Tips...... • Find new physical activities that you think are fun and learn more about them • Practice skills needed to perform the new activities

Increasing Physical Activity: What Parents Can Do