Brown Bag Lunch and Learn Lecture Series Fit and Fun Ideas for the Family Couch Potato

Did you know… Adults 18 and older need 30 minutes of physical activity 5 or more days a week to be healthy; children and teens need 60 minutes of activity a day for their health. 30 to 60 minutes of activity broken into smaller segments of 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day has significant health benefits. The number of overweight children and teens has doubled in the past two decades. Among children and teens, almost nine million are overweight, triple the proportion from 1980.

Things have changed… When we were kids –Few video games –Few television shows geared towards children –No Yahoo, AOL, chat rooms or –Very few computers in homes –Nightly neighborhood kickball games or group of kids collecting lightning bugs in the summer –Snow forts, snowman building contests, snow angels –Few fast food restaurants –Few food items marketed towards children

Things have changed… Now –Fast food on every corner and in schools –Vending machines in many buildings –Larger portion sizes –Limited physical education, not always required –Video games, computers, chat rooms, television shows and channels for the younger audience –Commercialism in schools –Few sounds of playing children in our neighborhoods –Elevators, buses, cars, escalators, trains, taxis, etc.

There is an Obesity CRISIS!!

What can you do? Be a leader and model of health –Follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly Talk to school officials about improving the school health environment Offer non-food rewards for self and children Come up with creative ways to fund-raise for groups other than food Limit television and computer time Participate in activities as a family

Baby through Preschool Push your child in a stroller faster than usual Turn on the music and dance with your child Get a bicycle carrier and helmet and go for a ride Take your child in a carry pack for a hike Exercise with your child in the swimming pool Enroll in a Baby/Parent Fitness Class

Older Children Go for family walks or bike rides Shoot hoops Play catch Try roller-blading Try an new park in your area – hike! Sign up for a walk promoting health Plan active vacations Plant a garden

Other Ideas Check out the library for books on family fitness and activities for kids Create a reward system and track the family’s progress towards their goal (plot a map of the U.S. of how far the family has hiked, walked, or biked together) See handouts

Resources Julia Sweet – Author of 365 Activities for Fitness, Food, and Fun for the Whole Family Action for Healthy Kids, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,