Can kids be physically active during screen time?

As my boys reach their teen years, it seems to be a constant battle keeping them off their phones and video games.  With all the extra hours at home this summer, getting them off the couch isn’t as easy as it used to be!

It is recommended that kids get at least 60 minutes of vigorous play each day to stay healthy.  Regular exercise in nature is proven to improve children’s physical and mental health.  Outdoor activity helps kids maintain a healthy weight, boosts immunity and bone loss, lowers stress and improves self-esteem.  It is also recommended that screen time be limited to less than 2 hours a day.  That’s TV, video game, computer, phone and iPad total time less than 2 hours/day!  I don’t know about you, but I find that to be nearly impossible. 

So, what about creating ways to be physically active with screen time?  Pokémon Go had the right idea and got my kids up and walking around, but they outgrew that game. Here are some other ideas I have used with my boys…

·         When watching morning cartoons or an afternoon movie on a rainy day, see how many push-ups you can do or how long you can hold a plank at the commercial breaks.  Make it a contest between you and your kids!

·         Allow them to create a private (only those you share the video with can see it) You Tube channel where they can create and post videos of themselves doing something active.  My boys will make a highlight video of themselves doing tricks on our trampoline, or dunking on the basketball hoop, or doing skateboarding tricks and set them to music.  They turn out pretty impressive!

·         Play a game on your phone together.  We like Heads Up where you hold the phone on your forehead and try to get your partner to say the words that pop up on the screen.  Even though it’s a talking game, we are always up jumping around acting out the word!

·         We still have a blast playing Wii sports together. Whether it be baseball, tennis or golf, the competitions get pretty intense.  And, they get a good laugh out of how bad I am. Just Dance or Outdoor Challenge are other fun active video games.

Of course, the goal is always getting outside with my kids hiking, biking, kayaking or just a good old game of one-on-one in the driveway.  Sometimes you have to pick your battles, and if getting them active with screen time is the best I can do some days, I’ll take it!

Amy Goebbert, PT, DPT

Co-owner & Physical Therapist - TheraCORE, Inc.

Consider a NEW Practice - National "Every Kid Healthy" week

Two years ago I began practicing yoga and absolutely love everything about it. If you are my friends or family, I have probably already asked you to come join me for a class. If you have been a patient of mine, I most likely have incorporated some sort of yoga-esque exercise into your rehabilitation. Why? Because these movements, breathing techniques, and forms of meditation work!

My 9 year old daughter, Emma, is exactly like me….running from sun up to sun down. Typical first born - wanting to do everything right and make everyone proud. And I think….oh no! I KNOW that I made her this way! While I admire her goal setting and her determination, I also want to teach her that life is a practice…..not a perfect!

Let’s face it, our kids today are constantly running from one thing to the next. Their days are filled with rushing off to school, after school activities, sports, clubs, homework and late bedtimes. All of which are repeated day after day. Not to mention the pressures that come with academic performance, success in sports and don’t get me started about the inner workings of adolescent friendships!!

Stress kicks in the sympathetic nervous system which leads to an elevation in heart rate and blood pressure. Over time, this constant increase in stress can lead to decreased immune support, low self-esteem, depression and isolation.  Research shows that incorporating a stress related program into a student’s daily routine helps academic performance, self-esteem, concentration and helps emotional balance. This further leads to improving a child’s confidence, goal setting, and overall classroom behavior.

Cue yoga…..

Yoga is a holistic approach to stress management. It gives an individual the opportunity to pause amidst all the chaos of life. To take a deep breath. To BE in the moment. The word Yoga in Sanskrit means “to yoke,” to bring together in mind, body and spirit. Yoga emphasizes the importance of breath, along with physical postures and relaxation methods to strive toward balance and allows the body to reconnect with the mind.

I have taken Emma to yoga with me multiple times. Not only do I love having this special time with my daughter. I love how she tells me she feels after she practices. Don’t get me wrong, part of the reason she loves it is for all the arm balances and crazy poses that only a 9 year old gymnast could hold, but she also tells me how calm she feels after. How relaxed and happy she feels walking out of the studio.

Yoga has benefits for children of every age:

·         Young children (6 and under): Development of body awareness and gross motor movement

·         Children 7-9 years of age: Challenges in strength, agility and endurance

·         Adolescence (10-12 years of age): A place to thrive as their bodies are changing and a safe environment to practice in, as they seek acceptance from peers

·         Teenage years: ”Practice allows for self-study and self-care as well as development of vital intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, such as improved communication skills, which are critically needed at this developmental stage”.

So this month, step out of your comfort zone and take your son or daughter to a yoga class. What a great way to celebrate being healthy with your kids. No judgement. No expectations. Just BE. 

Jen Bazan, PT, DPT

Physical Therapist, and co-owner

TheraCORE, Inc.

Children are always welcome at the yoga classes offered at our Lockport clinic. Classes are every Wednesday evening from 7:30 to 8:30 PM. Namaste!

Keep kids active during summer break

Keeping Kids Active During Summer Break

                Summer is in full swing and kids are enjoying their break from school before starting another year.  Unfortunately, getting away from the structure of the school day results in many children spending their new found free time on the couch playing video games or watching television.  A 2007 study in the American Journal of Public Health reported that the body mass index (BMI) of more than 5,000 kindergartners and 1^st graders increased by twice as much during summer break than during the school year.  It is well known that weight gain can affect children’s health both physically and mentally, so what can you do to keep your child active and healthy this summer?

                Turn off the T.V.!  Limit the amount of time your child spends watching television or playing on electronic devices by giving them a set time when these activities are appropriate, or better yet, use these activities as a reward for participating in some form of aerobic exercise that day. Experts recommend 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day, but this can be spread out over the course of the day while still achieving the health benefits.

                Make a calendar that your child is in charge of that marks the things that they are going to do that week.  Before they go to bed at night, sit down and help them write down the activities that they want to accomplish the next day.  This will give them some of the structure they had in school but also gives them control and will make them more likely to participate.

                Keep sporting equipment and toys easily accessible in the house or garage.  Tennis rackets, basketballs, hula hoops, and baseball gloves are more likely to be used if they are seen and available.

                Make it a family affair!  Children are more likely to be healthy and active if their parents are setting an example.   Going to the pool together or riding bicycles is not only great exercise, but is also fun way to spend time with each other.

                See what activities your community has to offer.  Summer sports programs, day camps, and outings are sometimes an affordable way to get your child active and meeting new friends!

                So, get them off the couch and moving!  They will start the new school year healthier and happier and never say the summer was wasted.

-Ryan Schaul, MPT   

You Tube Video