The last Friday in January is National Preschool Health and Fitness Day. Whether you’re a teacher,school director,club owner or parent it’s important to support physical fitness for preschool children. Here are some reasons why:
1. Childhood obesity is now recognized as having its roots during the preschool years. Recent studies have even indicated that children as young as 9 months are already affected. Many researchers believe the process begins even earlier than that while babies are still in the womb. Regardless of what age childhood obesity really begins,it’s never too young to instill healthy lifestyle habits.
2. Other diseases that have always been considered diseases of adulthood are now cropping up in children. Children leave preschool with up to 5 risk factors for heart disease. Children as young as age two are already afflicted with adult onset diabetes. These along with a number of musculoskeletal,orthopedic,psychological and metabolic disorders are now associated with the younger years.
3. The lifestyle habits that are necessary to halt and reverse the above alarming trends must be taught during the early,formative years. There’s a reason why children are shown how to brush their teeth,take a bath,use the potty and groom themselves during the preschool years. This is the time behaviors are planted for life. Eating healthy and exercising regularly are habits that children need to learn from the start. It’s easier and much more effective to build healthy habits than to change unhealthy ones years later.
What can you do to help? Plenty.
* Read a book to your child about making good food choices or not spending too much time on the computer/television.
* Give your preschool daycare children a fitness adventure with age appropriate activities,games and easy to make equipment.
* Get a free copy of the Food Guide Pyramid and post at home or in the classroom. Help children learn the foods they should eat the most and the least.
* Improve upon what children are being fed,especially for breakfast and lunch during their preschool day.
* Include small motor skill activities,art projects and classroom lessons that reinforce healthy habits and teach about the body.
* Make eating fun. Let children help make snacks and choose which healthy foods they would like to try.
* Exercise daily with your child. It doesn’t take much exercise to improve health and boost the immune system. Simple,short activities can make a big difference and start building the association that exercise is fun.
* Keep updated on the latest news regarding preschool children and health. Stay educated so you can make the best choices for the preschool children in your life.
Still need help? Get your own FREE Preschool Fitness Toolkit. The toolkit will help you with all the above and even provide a press release template to help promote your special day. Both you and your children will have a blast! Click here:KID-FIT Preschool Fitness Toolkit
If you feel strongly that all preschool children should partake in daily fitness activities,sign and pass on our Preschool Fitness Petition here