This past Tuesday, November 9, our Fundamentals in Biomedical Sciences class was visited again by nursing students from Springhill College. Building off our previous discussions on childhood obesity and nutrition, these four ladies gave us a presentation on the importance of Physical Activity in the lives of children. Before they began the presentation, we were shown a video that highlighted all of the mental and physical benefits of exercise. They are:
Cardiovascular and respiratory improvement
Reduction in health risk factors
Increase in metabolic rate
Decreased risk of falls
Bone health improvement
Weight loss and reduced obesity
Increased feelings of well beings
Better sleep
Improved brain function
Increased self esteem
Physical Activity is essential to the prevention of childhood obesity. Children with sedentary lifestyles are much more likely to be obese and have resulting health issues. Our guests had us pull out our phones and view our average daily screen-time. I was quite shocked to discover that I am on my phone for more than 2 1/2 hours every day! Some of my classmates even had some 5 to 6 hours! That number should be at the very least less than two. They then switched gears on the conversation to discuss just how much exercise children should be getting. That would be at least 60 minutes a day. Children should be doing cardiovascular exercises, such as running, swimming, or jumping, 3 days a week. It is also to the best benefit of children to participate in organized supports. Not only does this help your body, but also certain skills such as teamwork. Adolescents and older should likely be participating in some form of weight training as well in order to better understand how our bodies should be moving and to develop muscle strength. In order for children to be more active, there should be local programs or recreational centers for children to attend. Locally we have three programs: Action for healthy kids, Alliance for a healthier generation, Community foundation of South Alabama. Schools should also have mandatory physical activity as well as grounds to which children can play in during break times. There are many places and opportunities for children to active around Mobile. These include:
21 state parks
Auburn, University of South Alabama, and The University of Alabama have single sport centered camps
YMCA
Planet fitness
Inclusive accessible parks
My classmates and I greatly enjoyed hearing from our guests today. They were very helpful and informative. I'd love for them to return!
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