Healthy Living is Outside!
Kids playing outside is the healthiest way!
Posted: 8/17/2010 8:00 AM
All you have to do is look around and you will see that childhood obesity is out of control. The Centers for Disease Control (
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html ) cites close to 20% of kids ages 6-11 are obese and that number is on the rise. The CDC recommends kids exercise 60 min daily to combat obesity and for good overall health.
Childhood obesity and lack of exercise is a problem in America. As parents, we need to live by example and provide opportunities for our kids to get the recommended 60 minutes of exercise every day. I’ve seen new exercise equipment for kids, and personally, I think this is ridiculous. The best way for kids to exercise is to get outside and play! There are many ways for parents to engage their kids in active play at home, at the park, with organized sports, and my favorite, the back yard playground. I agree with the CDC who recommends age appropriate activities for kids, which includes jungle gyms. (
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/children.html)
My kids love their Backyard Discovery Patriot playset. (
http://www.swingsetsonline.com/backyard-products/play-sets/patriot/) We head outdoors to the playset several times every day. They love to swing, climb (on the rock wall as well as the structure!), slide, play in the sandbox, and general running around the playground.
I love to watch them in action as they use their imaginations to make up new stories and adventures centered on the playset. The playset has been everything from a pirate ship, to an alien space ship, to a super hero home-base, to a castle, to a zoo. I think that all of the physical activity encourages even more exciting, adventurous story lines.
The playset draws my kids outside to play. Once we are outside for a while, they don’t want to head inside to watch TV. They want to play soccer, explore nature, go swimming, ride their bikes, play hide and seek, and other active play. Alone, Backyard Discovery playsets will give your kids the exercise they need and the fun play they crave. It also may be the building block that encourages physical activity for a lifetime.
It is only natural for kids to exercise when they have a fun playset from Backyard Discovery. When kids are given opportunities young and grow up exercising, their risk of obesity goes down. Kids that are obese generally grow up to be obese adults. With increased activity, your kids will have stronger bones, decreased blood pressure, reduced stress & anxiety, higher self esteem, and a healthier weight. Give your kids a fighting chance. Start with a Backyard Discovery playset.
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