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Try to limit screen time to less than 2 hours a day. Turning off the TV, computer and video games is a great way to motivate you to get up and get moving. |
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Get plenty of ZZZs: While you're sleeping, your body grows and recovers from your days activities. If you don't give your body enough time to recover, it can catch up with you over time. Kids should get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. |
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Did you know your heart is a muscle that needs to be exercised just like your other muscles? Getting active for at least 60 minutes a day is a great way to give your heart a workout. |
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When its cold outside, visit an indoor pool, ice-skating rink or basketball court at a local gym, school, or community center for some fun. |
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Want to make your legs stronger? Try Wall Sits. Stand with your back against a wall, keeping your back to the wall bend down into the sitting position with knees at a 90 degree angle, hold for 60 seconds. |
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Did you know your heart is made of a unique kind of muscle that isn't found anywhere else in your body? Just like your other muscles, your heart needs exercise to keep it pumping strong. |
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I dare you by the end of the day to complete 50 of each of the following: Jumping jacks, Sit-ups, Push-ups, and Lunges. |
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Try and get at least 60 minutes of play time or exercise throughout each day and work up a sweat when doing it. Try dancing, swimming, mowing the lawn, or bicycling to start. You don't have to do all 60 minutes at once, feel free to break it up throughout your day. |
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When watching TV, try and do as many jumping jacks, sit-ups, or push-ups as you can during commercial breaks. |
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Try a kickboxing or karate class or video - it's a great workout and you learn self-defense as well. |
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"The availability of unhealthy foods and the advertising that promotes them. Many youth dont have access to fresh, healthy food because its not grown where they live. Unhealthy, processed foods are often less expensive than fresh foods. Thats not right!" - Natalie, Age 12 |
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"Limited time, easy access to junk food and too much TV and video games. For example, parents are often rushed and dont have enough time to make a healthy breakfast for their kids, so families often eat fast food in the morning...grocery stores and drug stores are set-up with bubble gum and ring pops in easy view. What sometimes looks like food is not really food, just chemicals and dye." - Sarah, Age 8 |
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"Modern-day temptations are definitely the biggest obstacle. Teens today live in a world where there are fast food restaurants on every corner, televisions with hundreds of channels, computers, and cell phones with internet access. They are completely surrounded by temptations to live an unhealthy lifestyle." - Madison, Age 16 |
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"The abundance of processed junk and fast food. In school, there are fewer choices of salad and fresh fruit among the typical school lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, and cookies. It also seems that junk food is the centerpiece of our social situations. Friends get together at places like fast food restaurants and the pizza place. Even at my gym there are vending machines with chips, soda, and candy." - Justin, Age 11 |
