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

Now that it has finally warmed up outside, the chance to get out there and get active is here. Whether you are playing sports, running around with your kids, or enjoying a nice, relaxing day sitting in the sun, it is important to keep your health in mind. Preventing injuries it is not hard to do if you know some of the simple steps it takes to make sure your body is prepared for the activities ahead. Everyone knows how beneficial proper stretching, warm ups and cool downs are however, there is another thing you can do to help keep yourself injury free this summer. Getting frequent massages (at least thirty minutes once a week) can not only improve your overall health but it can also be an easy and fun way to help keep you from getting injured while you are out and about this summer.

Massage in relation to exercise and athletic participation can

• Promote relaxation
• Reduce muscle tension
• Improve soft tissue function
• Increase range of motion
• Help athletes monitor muscle tone
• Strengthen your immune system
• Help speed up recovery from injuries
• Decrease muscle stiffness after exercise
• Improve exercise performance
• Reduce inflammation

So make sure to schedule yourself a massage regularly to help keep your body in tip top shape so you can be as active as you want this summer. The fewer injuries you get, the more you will be able to enjoy this long awaited summer!

- Beth Laskowski, LMT

http://youtu.be/Uw09QuIu7GY

The weather will someday get warmer here in Chicagoland, and hopefully we find ourselves becoming more active!  All activities bring with some risk of injury.  The most common type of injury is one we can control, an overuse injury.  Sprains, strains and stress fractures are all types of overuse injuries from working out or playing sports.  Most of these can be avoided!  Here are some tips on how to minimize your risk of injury:

1.       Stretch – A proper warm up including some type of dynamic stretching will increase the blood flow to your joints and muscles and create a more comfortable workout or practice.  Static stretching (a held stretch for 30-60 seconds) after workouts will help elongate muscles and prevent post-workout soreness. 

2.       Use proper form – With any activity, whether it be driving a car or playing basketball, if you do not use correct form, excessive stress is placed on your joints.  Over time this stress can lead to pain, muscle spasm and injury.  

3.       Listen to Your Body – Stop if you are in pain!  If you continue to exercise through pain, you may cause more injury and prolong your healing time.  

4.       RICE – “Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation”.  If you do encounter pain during your workout, or sustain a traumatic injury be sure to follow the principles of RICE immediately. The longer you wait to care for an injury, the more damage that is done. 

5.       Strengthen- Performing strengthening exercises to areas where you are weak will only help improve your workouts.  If you love participating in cardio, try adding 2 days of strength training to your regimen.  You will prevent painful overuse injuries, and improve your endurance during your cardio workouts!

6.       Rest- It is important to rest from exercise one day per week. Or, take a break from your sport for at least one month per year.  Researchers have found that the young athletes that are at the highest risk of injury are those that only participate in one sport.  Your body needs to engage in different movement patterns, this will only make you a stronger athlete!

One of the reasons Jen Bazan and I started TheraCORE was to include a concept into our practice that many physical therapists, trainers and coaches leave out - injury prevention.  There are many things that you can do to prevent injuries weather you are an avid runner, or just trying to sit at your computer without pain.  TheraCORE offers injury prevention seminars to teams looking to prevent ACL injuries or rotator cuff tears, to companies who want to teach their employees better postural awareness.  Please give us a call if you are looking for more information! 

- Amy Goebbert, PT, DPT