The importance of physical activity for our children

The target audience of this Photovoice project are young children in our neighboring communities in Colorado, Greeley, Thornton, Loveland, and Denver.  Our mission is to show the various activities that children can take part in to maintain an active lifestyle and ways in which these activities can be offered to our youth.  Physical activity is important for children to maintain normal, healthy weights and maintain healthy, active brains.  Encouraging kids to stay fit and active in childhood will help ensure they will stay fit and continue to be active into adulthood, which in turn will decrease their likelihood of health related illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.  Although Colorado is one of the leanest states in the country, childhood obesity is still on the rise due to poor nutrition and lack of physical activity. 

In 2007/2008, Colorado's children, ages 2-14, had an obesity rate of 26.8%. This rate depicts children, ages 2 - 14, who have an 85% or greater BMI.  In 2007/2008, Larimer County (Loveland) , had an obesity rate of 17.2%; Weld County (Greeley) had an obesity rate of 29.8%; Adams County (Thornton) had a rate of obesity at 32.0%; and Denver County (Denver) had an obesity rate of 36.7%.  These rates are compared to the Healthy People 2010 objective of 15%. 

Overweight children miss about four times as much school as normal weight children.  It was reported that 35% of school-aged children watch an average of 5 or more hours of TV a day.  These alarming statistics are reason enough to find ways to decrease the rates of childhood obesity.  We need to work together in our communities and offer multiple ways to be active in our schools, environments, and at home.  Initiating healthy policies will create healthy environments and healthy behaviors which will produce healthy people such as our youth.

You will see how we have captured kids engaging in physical activity in four different community settings and how they differ and how they are similar.  Each of the four different environments strive to keep kids entertained in a safe, active setting with unique approaches.  You will also see the ways in which each of our team members have viewed and captured the different communities that we live in.



Action For Healthy Kids.  (2010).  Here are the facts.  Retrieved from Action for healthy kids: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (2010).  Maternal and Child Health County Data Sets.  Retrieved from: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ps/mch/mchdatasets.html
 

Greeley - Weekdays

It would be nice to say that children are regularly active at home, but this isn't always the case. During the weekdays, parents work and children go to school. Naturally, children are likely to engage in one or two physical activities while at school, but what about when they're home? In observing a neighborhood in Greeley, there is a distinct difference between weekends and weekdays. During the weekdays, the most one might see of kids is either early in the mornings when they're heading off to school, or in the afternoons when they're returning home after being picked up by a parent.

Toys lay abandoned in a yard in this photo, showing that although it's fairly sunny outside and the weather is still warm, children are not out playing. Instead, they are indoors, and they have been there since returning home from school. There could be a variety of reasons why -- homework should come first before playing, as playing is often seen as a reward. Perhaps the child is sick, or perhaps they've played so much all day long that they're too tired to continue playing more now that they're home. However, in watching the children I noticed their parents ushering them inside, themselves exhausted from getting up early for work.

When children are outside, they need some sort of supervision, but parents cannot necessarily do that when they're indoors preparing dinner or taking a breather from a long day of their own work-related activities. Because of this, children are less likely to be active outdoors. With no one to watch them, their only choice is to be indoors either doing homework, or playing a game inside. While this is understandable, it does bring up a good point -- children are encouraged to be active by their parents. If their parents are not encouraging their activity, they can easily fall into a habit of staying indoors, playing video games or watching television, and simply not exercising.

It is important for those of us in the public health field to find ways to better encourage parents to encourage their own children to be active. At such young ages, children are shaped by the adults in their lives, and it isn't enough to expect that they will be active just at school -- they need to be encouraged to be active at home as well, even if it's to take a walk around the block with their parents, or being allowed a quick game in the front yard before trekking indoors to do homework.

Greeley - Weekend

When Sunday afternoons come around, and children arrive home from church or another family function, they are often full of energy. Immediately after getting out of the car they will grab toys they left in their yard and begin to play, expending as much of that energy as possible before going indoors. Here two boys, around the ages of six or seven, are busy racing down the sidewalk on their scooters to see who is the fastest. They repeat this race a few times, egging one another on with cries of "Faster!" and "I'm going to beat you!"

The boys might think they're playing around, for at their ages, exercise is something they only associate with adults. By pushing themselves in their miniature competition they're taking part in an activity that allows them to burn off energy, as well as keep them from lazing about for the rest of the day. It's important for kids to do things like this, especially on weekends, as weekends tend to be longer periods of time in which kids are home and able to be outdoors. They're being active rather than lethargic, and enjoying what they're doing.

It is fairly easy to see that these boys are healthy for their ages, as well as active. This is a good sign as it shows people passing by that they are capable and willing to play outdoors rather than stay indoors glued to the television all day long. Being outdoors is extremely important for kids, and it is important that we encourage them to play outdoors as much as possible. By encouraging activity now, these kids will likely grow up to live a more healthy lifestyle, and that's exactly what should happen.

Thornton - Middle School Recess

This is a picture of 7th grade students at Rocky Top Middle School in Thornton, Colorado.  The students have recess each day.  Their recess averages about ten minutes each day.  It is part of the lunch period.  Once students have eaten their lunch and cleaned up their area, they are allowed to go outside and play.  Basketballs, footballs and 4-square balls are available for students to borrow.  When looking at the picture, we can see many of the students being active.  The students on this day were only allowed to be on the blacktop area.  Most students do spend the ten minutes they have playing and moving around.  There are groups of students that play the same game each day whether it is basketball, football, 4-square, or even hand ball.  The boys are much more active than the girls are.  The girls tend to just walk around the perimeter of the blacktop area while the boys are sprinting around.  As an adult on duty, it is important to keep your eyes open so you don't get hit by a ball or run into by a boy running after a ball.  It is important that these students have the chance each do to get some exercise and some sunlight.  This is the only time during the day between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, unless they are in PE, that they get to be outside and moving.  These students need that time to unwind from sitting in a chair all day.  With so much talk about vitamin D, it is important that the students have a chance to get some exposure to sun. 

The problem with the recess the students have is that it is only ten minutes long.  Also, it is the first thing that is taken away if the teachers decide to punish the students.  At the beginning of the year, the students were allowed on the field seen in the background of the picture.  However, because the students do not line up correctly when the whistle is blown, they are not allowed on the grass anymore.  They will be allowed on the grass when they can line up correctly but it is hard to get 12 year-olds to stand quietly.  The students ran around much more when they were allowed on the field.  Some days they are not allowed outside at all.  If the students leave the cafeteria a mess, the next day they have to stay in the cafeteria in their seats.

We need to realize that recess is important for these students and try to come up with a different form of punishment.  Exercise is so important for these students, especially when lunch is usually fried chicken in some form, ice cream, and a roll.  Students that have exercised seem to be able to focus better in the afternoon. Teachers need to make sure students are not just sitting in their seats all day, students need both mental and physical stimulation.

Thornton - Middle School PE class

This is a picture of a 7th grade physical education class at a middle school in Thornton, Colorado.  The students are doing their mile test.  At the beginning of each trimester, the students take physical tests and then are tested again at the end of the trimester to see if there is growth.  The tests include running a mile, long jump, number of push-ups in a minutes, number of sit-ups in a minute, pull-ups, and high jump.  From an educator's point of view, it is important to collect data about the students to see if there is growth over time.  Students at the middle school take PE each year for one trimester which is twelve weeks.  The class is every day for 50 minutes.  Even though it looks like everyone in the picture is running, some students do not really try on their tests.  It is hard to collect data on these kids, but they have to at least walk the mile so they are getting some exercise.  Physical education is important because children need daily exercise.  More and more PE is getting cut from schools which sends the message to our children that exercise is not important.  As the rate of obesity in American children grows, schools should be adding PE instead of cutting it.  It is hard with the budget for schools getting cut every year, however, with the push for health from the Obama administration, perhaps more funding for PE will become available.  For many students, it is the only exercise they are going to get all day.  Not only is PE being cut, but all 7th grade after school sports as well as 8th grade football were cut from the district.  As adults, we need to model healthy behavior for our children.  The community members need to make sure they are voting to pass levies to support the schools.  However, it is also important for members of the community to voice their opinion about what should be done with the money.  Many people don't think they can do anything about what goes on in schools but they are wrong.  Schools are run by board members which are members of the community.  There are board meetings every month where members of the community can go to voice their thoughts and concerns.  Though something might not happen overnight to bring more PE back to the schools, the movement needs to start somewhere.

Loveland-Tree House

Here you see three small girls playing in a huge tree and turning it into their tree house.  They cleaned out the leaves, sticks and dirt and put blankets down to pose as carpet.  They used limbs to hang their imaginary purses and hats.  The girls had a great time playing in their very own tree house for over an hour, using nothing more than their imagination and mother nature.  In this situation, the girls are free to enjoy their Sunday with friends, feeling free and safe to burn some energy at no financial cost at all.  This type of activity gives the girls an opportunity to use the given resources around them freely and allows them to exercise their mind, body and social skills in a safe environment.  The town of Loveland has a beautiful environment and encourages the use of its parks, yards and open spaces for recreational activities.  Loveland is growing in size but still has the small hometown feel and atmosphere that creates a safe play environment for our children.  In some bigger cities they are taking away open spaces that could potentially be a fun area for children to play in, and turning them into more businesses, shopping malls, and private properties.  We as a society need to create more usable kid friendly and safe environments for our children.  This will encourage our children to get out, have fun and take part in more physical activity.  And as seen in this picture it can cost nothing at all to the parents of the children.

Loveland-Karate Class

In this picture, one of Loveland's local karate classes is in full session and teaching its youth new 'ninja' like skills, obedience, and patience.  What looks like nap time in this picture is actually a fun cool down game the younger kids, Dragons, play.  This game is intended as a fun reward for responding to the day's lessons so well.  The kids tuck into a ball and close their eyes and when the instructor gives the word, the kids run and tag the instructor.  Karate is offered to people of all different ages and skill levels at this particular location. However, in this picture, karate is being taught to very young children.  Karate gives the children a unique and fun way to be physically active, allows interaction with other children, and teaches them how to listen to instructions in a respectful manner.  Every couple of months they have ceremonies to show off their new talent to friends and family, which also gives the children a sense of pride and self worth.  Karate can be costly which makes it difficult for some families to participate.  Some places have you pay month to month but often times a contract is put into place which means higher dues.  Also, finding means of transportation regularly and taking time off work to get the child to practice can prove to be tough.  To provide all of our youth with happy, active, and affordable childhoods we can create free after school programs with classes such as karate.  We can get martial arts instructors with all skill levels to donate some time to create workshops offered at the schools.  This  will encourage children to be more physically active in a familiar, safe environment and give parents more time at work before they come pick up their children at school.  After school karate could also give the children time to move around and burn off some energy after siting in class all day which may help create more family and homework time at home.  Karate instructors could also create internships within their companies and have the interns teach after school programs as well. 

Loveland-Waterpark

In this picture, there are many children enjoying some fun in the sun physical activity at one of Loveland's free water parks.  Local kids spend much of their summer vacations at one of the two free spray parks offered in Loveland.  The parks are meant for kids of all ages and fun for the entire family.  This particular spray park is located in the old fairgrounds area, now brought back to life with water amenities, playgrounds, and picnic areas for the families.  There is one other free water park located in Loveland and has more powerful water amenities meant for the older, than seen here, children.  The mission statement of the City of Loveland Parks and Recreation Department is to provide leisure facilities, programs, activities and opportunities for the citizens of the community.  Seen from the popularity of the parks in recent years they have accomplished their mission.  Free parks such as these help bring our community closer together and encourages the engagement of families while increasing the opportunity and likelihood that our children will be physically active.  Unfortunately, parks such as Loveland's spray parks are only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and are often shut down during inclement weather throughout these dates.  We need to offer more fun, active and free activities for our community during "off" days.  Also, we need to consider those communities that do not even have free activities for their children to participate in at all due to lack of funds or involvement.  By physically going out into our communities and asking different families what type of activities they would like to see offered to their children, we will have an idea of what will be worth putting forth effort, funding and time for.  Cities need to create community involvement and get local businesses, departments, and charities to help fund a safe and creative environment for our youth.  We also need to utilize space that can create the environment such as old empty lots that are not being used, for example, how Loveland took advantage of their old fairgrounds that sat deserted for years.  Maintenance will need to be consistent to keep our facilities clean, safe, and usable for our children to use year after year.  We keep saying that our children need to be more physically active but in order for us to mean it, we need to provide them with fun activities to do. 

City of Loveland Colorado.  (2010).  Fairgrounds Park.  Retrieved from City of Loveland Colorado: http://www.ci.loveland.co.us/parksrec/FairgroundsPark.htm