Getting Active with your Kids
Everyone knows that they are supposed to exercise and eat properly, but most of the time, we let life
carry us away from our fitness goals. You may not be concerned about yourself- between work, raising
your children and all the stuff in between, it may seem like there’s no time or energy left. However,
once you get the motivation and start your own physical activity plan, you may find that you have more
energy than ever before.
Parents know they need to be good role models. Being a proper role model includes eating properly
and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, so you can impart those skills to your children. The benefits of
physical activity are great incentives to keep yourself and your children moving. According to Canada’s
Physical Activity Guide for Children and Youth, benefits are: increases relaxation, healthy growth and
development, encourages good posture and balance, physical self esteem, the list keeps going.
The hard part is getting going. The guide suggests doing this as a family, and use a chart to track your
progress. Using a chart helps the kids see their progress and keeping them involved with the process
makes them feel like they are part of the decision making. All of this will help keep them excited and
motivated. According to the Guide, families should start by adding 30 minutes of physical activity to
each day, and losing 30 minutes of non-active time per day. What makes this really user friendly is that
activity can be accumulated in five or 10 minute intervals throughout the day, which really works for
children or adults with short attention spans.
Canada’s Physical Activity Guide also suggests mixing moderate activities like walking, swimming, biking
and playing outdoors with vigorous activity like running and soccer. Try to do at least one physical
activity a day with your children, like a walk after supper or a family game of baseball in the backyard.
Active parents tend to lead to active children.
The warm weather has finally found Central Alberta and the kids are free from school for the summer.
Summer camps are getting underway and these are a great resource for parents, since they vary in
length and activities. Some are day, overnight or weekly, in and around Red Deer. These camps provide
unique experiences, new friends and time out of the house with no video games or television. Some
camps in the area are the Aviation Space Camp in Penhold, Brightwood Ranch in Evansburg, and Camp
Alexo in Red Deer. There are equestrian camps, bible camps, basketball camps, and even the Encana
Badlands Science Camp in Drumheller where kids learn about biology and paleontology. A full list of
camps in and around Red Deer with contact information is available at
www.cirsonline.ca/summercamp.html.
Family Services of Central Alberta also offers summer day camps in Red Deer parks. More information
can be found online at www.fsca.ca or at 403-343-6400.
Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for Children and Youth, as well as progress charts and more information
can be found at www.phac-aspc.gc.ca.
This column was written by Jesseca Johanson. For information on parenting and other
family resources, go to www.fsca.ca. Or call Village Gate Parent Link at Family Services
of Central Alberta, 403-340-6400.