Wondering Just How Much Physical Activity Our Children Should Be Getting And Why It's So Important?

Here are some of the alarming stats:

• There are over 200 million children around the world that are overweight
• Over 75% of children do not reach the minimum requirements for physical activity
• In fact, I've even read some sources that say less than 10% get the recommend amounts
• The average child spends 7.5 hours each and every day in front of a screen (TV, tablet, video games, etc.)

So, clearly there are frightening trends developing worldwide. We have a serious impact on how our children will develop. For instance, when both parents are obese there is an 80% chance the child will also become obese; conversely, there is only a 10% chance for the child to become obese when both parents are lean.

Further evidence is shown that when a mother is active, there is a two-fold the child will also be active; there is a three-fold chance of being active when the father is active; and a six-fold chance when both parents are active. 

We as parents, or guardians, have a real important role to play.

This occurs through role modelling, fostering a shared love for physical activity, and an increased access to such resources.

As well, children are much more moldable and capable of shaping behavior into better patterns than adults, making this a great place for intervention. Also, children height-growth potential, which means that if weight (or other factors) fluctuate due to external influences, they have the ability to return "back on track" without adverse effects.

So what things can we do?

1. We have to remove, or limit, influences that increase sedentary behavior. This includes TV, video games, etc.
2. Physical activity needs to be promoted. This is very important at school, although you don't have a significant direct influence on this, but also at home with the family (or friends).
3. Help make your community more friendly to incorporating physical activity.
• Check out Dave Kittner (aka Youth Fitness Guy) and his Fun At One.

Finally, how much physical activity should children get?

Fortunately, there are numerous organizations that are heavily invested in this, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and ParticipACTION; however, their recommendations are quite similar.

• Early Year (0-4 years)
• Infants (less than 1 year)
• Interactive floor-based play such as tummy time
• Toddlers (1-2 years) and Preschoolers (3-4 years)
• 180 minutes/day of crawling, creeping, walking, and exploring the environment
• Children (5-11 years)
• 60 minutes/day of running, biking, swimming
• Incorporating vigorous intensity aerobic activities 3x week, and activities that strengthen the muscles and bones 3x week
• Youth (12-17 years)
• 60 minutes/day of basketball, skateboarding, martial arts
• Incorporating vigorous intensity aerobic activities 3x week, and activities that strengthen the muscles and bones 3x week
• Adults (18-64 years)
• 150 minutes/week of running in clubs, biking to work, walks after dinner and in bouts of at least 10 or more minutes
• Incorporating vigorous intensity aerobic activities 2x week, and activities that strengthen the muscles and bones 2x week
• Older Adults (65+ years)
• 150 minutes/week of dance classes, bowling leagues, or walks in the park and in bouts of at least 10 or more minutes
• Activities to increase balance to reduce fall

For further information you can check out ParticipACTION's website directly.

For more information you can check out my previous entries:

Benefits Of Physical Activity

http://softballphysicalactivityandhealth.blogspot.ca/2014/04/unplugandplay-benefits-of-being-more.html

How To Remain Active At Work

http://softballphysicalactivityandhealth.blogspot.ca/2014/04/back-to-work-how-to-remain-active.html

Kevin Daize - Father, Coach, Man-Extraordinaire!

SMSA 2013 Squirt Girls Selects - Provincial Champions


I have been very fortunate to get to know Kevin Daize over the last number. He and his daughter, Lauren, would come out to the SMSA's pitching clinic each and every night as well as have their winterball practice right before hand. He is clearly a dedicated father and coach. I contacted him not so long ago to get his thoughts and perspectives on being coach, as he is someone all coaches could learn a thing or two from. He had the following to say:

In the 7th and 8th grades I belonged to a school that had a phenomenal music program.  The Vice Principal Mr. Leith was a stern man with a dry sense of humour in his late 40's at the time, who was also a gifted musician.  He conducted the school band, which year over year would win awards, and at one point had even released a record (that's right...from a grade 8 band!).

Before starting the 7th grade, most of the kids in the band had never before touched a wood wind or brass instrument.  They had been introduced to their instruments as part of the standard music program, then been selected to play in the band if they demonstrated a level of proficiency.

Mr. Leith amazed me.  He could play every instrument;  Trumpets, trombones, French horns, clarinets, flutes...I don't remember ever seeing him not able to play an instrument.  The benefit of course, was that Mr. Leith could demonstrate how a particular piece was supposed to sound when one of the band

members was having trouble.  They could see him, hear him, plus listen to his explanations.  In my mind, he always did an excellent job at ensuring the kids were able to understand what he was teaching.

The band was broken into sections...the bass, woodwinds, percussion, etc., and were all given instructions along with their sheet music to work on.  The groups were sent to their own sound proof rooms within a building that was separate from the rest of the school to work on their components.  This building was affectionately called "The Pit".

After  several days of practicing separately, and in some cases, bringing our instruments home to fine tune our pieces, Mr. Leith would bring the entire band together.  As a member, we knew we had a responsibility to the rest of the band to learn our individual music.  And we knew the rest of the band had a responsibility to us to know theirs.  Anyone not prepared would stand out like an angry tom cat when Mr. Leith called everyone to order before finally raising his conducting baton.

I don't expect anyone reading this to be so naive as to think that we played the scores in our set list perfectly the first time.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  But would did happen, is that a group of thirty 13 and 14 yr. olds would play a recognizable piece of music together.  Sure it was a little ugly at first, but that was the diamond in the rough.  Mr. Leith was quick to stop and highlight problems in any particular part of the band as we practiced together.  Sometimes they'd be sent away to practice on their own again depending on the infraction.  His guidance was swift, direct, and specific.

The band perfected each piece of music as it prepared for upcoming concerts.  We found ourselves playing at events alongside concert bands formed with kids from high schools in their late teens, but anyone present and not able to see the young people behind our instruments would have sworn our prowess went well beyond our years.

This will be my fifth year coaching House League fastball for the Stittsville Minor Softball Association (SMSA), and I can't believe how much influence Mr. Leith has had on my approach to teaching kids the game, assigning accountability, and feeling the sense of accomplishment when everything finally comes together.  I can only strive to be the leader Mr. Leith was.

The ball diamond is our "Pit", and until you see and feel it all come together, you'll never know how rewarding it is to coach kids fastball.     

-Kevin Daize

Stittsville Minor Softball Association: Midget Girls Selects Tryouts at South Carleton High School - Session 1 of 2

The Midget Girls Selects Team began their tryouts on Thursday, April 24.

The session went from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm and displayed why the SMSA has had such a strong showing in softball across Ontario, including three provincial championships, and a third place finish.

Off the heels of their provincial win last year, a core group of girls that played for the Bantam Girls Selects that won their respective provincials last year, along with a very strong group of other girls, comprised this fantastic group of young women. There was a total of 17 girls trying out, but

unfortunately only 11 spots to fill and the coaches are having a very tough time choosing the team's members.

Coach Paul Prebinski, Darren Staal, and Phil Thomson all agree that it will be sad to cut such talented girls from the team, but that in the end this team will represent Stittsville as strongly as its predecessors.

Please pay attention to social media and the SMSA website for information on the second tryout session and for updates on how the team is doing

SMSA Website - www.StittsvilleSoftball.org

SMSA Twitter - @SMSAsoftball

SMSA Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stittsville-Minor-Softball-Association/100814136693483

Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue - Garage Sale

Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue is a non-profit charitable organization who strives to take stray cats off the streets and place them into forever homes. They also practice trap-neuter-return for the wild or feral cats to decrease the cat population and help minimize unwanted fighting and disease among these cats.

To help with funding of medical costs, Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue is having a Garage Sale (the second annual) on the June 7-8th weekend pending the weather, and would be grateful for any donations of items (with the exception of large furniture, clothes, electronics and mattresses). Pick up can be arranged! Come on by to see the treasures and help fund the spay/neuter stray cats! Location to be announced!

This is a great cause, and donating/supporting them requires little to no effort. I highly recommend checking out their social media:

Website - http://www.oscatr.ca/

Twitter - @OttawaCatRescue

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ottawa-Stray-Cat-Rescue/161752790585752

Or contact Katie Jones - katie@oscatr.ca

The Dream Catchers - Dare to Dream

Click to check out their website

I have had the great pleasure to work with one of the founding members, Osman Naqvi, at the Boys and Girls Club in Ottawa at the Britannia location. He is a dedicated, hard working, and philanthropic individual that will certainly do a great many things. Further, I also had the opportunity to work with Kevin Nguyen, another one of their members, also at the Boys and Girls Club. In the last bit I have also begun to converse with some of their other members, such as Lena Boyd. I hope that I will continue to work with these ambitious and inspirational young adults as they move forward in the world. Keep a close eye for these go-getters, they will do great things!

I highly recommend you check them out on Facebook:

Click on the image

Follow them on Twitter:

Click on the image

Check out their website by clicking on the image at the top

So, who are The Dream Catchers?

The Dream Catchers (TDC), is a Not For Profit founded by two university students, Osman Naqvi and Moses Otim. Enlisting the help of a few of their friends, this organization has grown to include 8 more executive members; Nicole Dédier as Chair of Marketing, Sumeet Dubb as the Chair of the Steering Committee, Neetika Chopra as Director of Administrative, Kevin Nguyen as Director of Promotions, Jevaughn Newman as the Treasurer, Jaipaul Dubb as Volunteer Director, Pieter Oliver as Director of Outreach, and Lena Boyd as Director of the Citizens of the Capital Committee. With the combined efforts of these individuals, as well as many loyal supporters and volunteers, their dreams are in action. 

The Dream Catchers was initiated to accomplish a simple goal; to help youth in Ottawa accomplish their dreams. To do this, TDC has adopted a multifaceted approach, the first of which is to ensure all youth are equal in having their basic needs met. This is why TDC runs their unique clothing drive called Wardrobe on Wheels and canned food drives throughout the year. Creativity and self-expression is just as important to a child’s development, thus TDC also runs more inspired initiatives, such as the Halloween Costume Drive; both efforts unique to the Dream Catchers, and to wrap up each year is a toy drive during holiday time in December.

The Dream Catchers has many ambitious aims; which also includes fostering a more pronounced sense of community in the Ottawa area. The Citizens of the Capital, a sub-organization of TDC, aspires to “put the unity in community.” Our photographers, under the direction of Lena Boyd, take snapshots of individuals from all walks of life, all around the city. Usually captioned by a quote from the individual, their profiles -which are posted on the website and social media pages- create a sense of familiarity and openness. They help attach the label of ‘friends’ to people who would otherwise be considered strangers. 

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, and Unicorns?? ... Oh My! Happiness After Her Undergrad - Cierra Gaudet

Undergraduate Degree = COMPLETE!!!

Euphoria, unicorns, rainbows, sunshine, dancing, happiness, laughter, the “warm fuzzies” are all a mixture of feelings that I am experiencing at the moment. I’ve dreamed about this moment so many times in the last few weeks. For a while, it seemed like I’d be stuck in university forever, but after Christmas I began to see the end of the tunnel and I knew that victory was near. I wish I could say that I did something drastic after my last exam. You know, like I threw down my pencil and stormed out of the room like I owned the place (or something along those lines). I ended up doing the same thing I always do. Checking and re-checking all of my work, making sure my name and student number were written on the front page and as I walked down to give my exam to my professor, I did take the time to smile a bit. I handed in my last exam, still smiling, and said “thank you” to the professor. It was only when I was in the comfort of my own room that my happy dance began!

It’s been 2 hours since I finished writing and it still hasn’t really sunk in that I’m done. I keep expecting someone to jump out of nowhere and be like, “JUST KIDDING! YOU HAVE A PAPER DUE TOMORROW!” or something else that’s just as scary. I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting and thinking about all that’s gone on in the last four years. I’ve mentioned previously that I am originally from Summerside, PEI and during my senior year of high school, I made the decision to attend the University of Ottawa in the fall. At first it seemed like a brilliant idea! I felt so excited to be heading to a big city and experiencing all the hustle and bustle of being in the nation’s capital. The night before I left, all of those feelings went away and were replaced with such terror I wanted to honestly slap myself in the face and be like, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU INSANE? YOU’LL NEVER SURVIVE!”

But, I did! Somehow I managed to fall in love with the city of Ottawa and while I still can’t say some words properly and my love for headbands hasn’t died, I can honestly say that it’s been an unreal journey. (So unreal that I’m staying here again ;)). I won’t say that it was an easy 4 years because an undergraduate degree is NOT easy. In fact, it was a lot of hard work, dedication and wasn’t done

without complaining, griping and arguing. However, what I’ve managed to learn (aside from what I was supposed to learn) was that good company, great friends and family are all you need to survive in life, no matter what the challenge is…ok, and well yes, you also need food, water and oxygen, but let’s just keep it simple. :P What made this undergrad memorable was all of the wonderful people that I had the chance to get to know over the course of the degree. It’s pretty neat when you’re in a classroom that’s so diverse in culture, energy, and talent. I’m excited to see what the future holds in store for my classmates and myself.

In terms of the future, I plan on working here for the next year, finding some time to relax for once and perhaps going back to school later on. I’ve always enjoyed learning, and I’m only 21, so who knows? However, right now all I can think about is celebrating!!!! Because, well, why not?? :D I definitely have a sense of pride in what I’ve accomplished, but that goes without saying that I’ve been very fortunate to have such an amazing support team who I want to take the time to recognize for always being there for me (you guys know who you are!). I think sometimes as students we are so focused on grades that we forget the most important things in life (and no, sleep isn’t one of them in case you were wondering), but rather our family and friends. Always make sure they come first above everything else. With that, congrats to the HK graduates of 2014! We did it (thank god).

Fantastic Cause: Gutsy Walk 2014 - Crohn's and Colitis Canada

Support My Journey Please go to - http://bit.ly/1mDe2or for the full story and article on the Crohn's and Colitis Canada website, as well as videos and related media. Please sponsor James at - http://bit.ly/1rlL224 and make a difference. I am donating $20 and I encourage you to do the same! Dear Family and Friends, First my story, Let me tell you a little bit about the 'Great Perforation' of 2009.  It was a Saturday, just days before my birthday in April, and I was having a pretty standard hangover (or so I thought) - headache, tired, the odd trip to the bathroom - but nothing I was too concerned about.  After dinner I started feeling really strange - extremely bad abdomen pains, gas pains, and an urge to rush to the bathroom like no other I have felt before!!! I thought I was coming down with the flu, as I began to feel nauseous as well.  As I eagerly anticipated the 'Bathroom Perfect Storm' (Nausea, Pain, and Horrific Other Things I will spare you from) of epic proportions to pass, something happened... My guts exploded!! My abdomen seized and flexed and I could not unflex it, followed by an unimaginable-never-ending pain from head to toe I would not wish on my worst enemy!  yikes!  After all of this madness - which at first, no one knew what was wrong - I had emergency surgery to figure out what had happened.... A perforated bowel caused by Crohn's disease - oh yeah... that's when I got diagnosed with Crohn's disease - not the most pleasant way to find out about something like that.  Long story short - 7 inches of my intestines were removed and I was on the road to recovery.   For a long time I knew something was wrong, and I was stupidly either 'too busy' or 'too embarrassed' to bring it up.  Not any more and not ever again. I now look at nature's little 'business meetings', even at the worst of times, with a new point of view - Comedy! Laughter is the best medicine and the best way to get through the bad experiences. Now for the Gutsy Walk,  Canada has one of the highest rates for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the world and those rates are increasing. Most alarming, the number of new cases of Crohn’s disease in Canadian children has almost doubled since 1995. Crohn’s and colitis are lifelong diseases that can have a devastating impact on quality of life, elevate the risk of colorectal cancer, and in the case of Crohn’s disease, shorten life expectancy.  On Sunday, June 8th, 2014 I will be participating at the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s Gutsy Walk. This cause is very important to me, which is why I’m asking you to be GUTSY and support my fundraising efforts by making a donation. These much-needed funds will support critical research and education to find cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and improve the lives of children and adults affected by these chronic diseases. THANK YOU FOR BEING GUTSY! Sincerely, James Bridgewater