The Morans are ahead of most families in wedging exercise into their child’s busy schedule. According to the most recent data from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), only one in four American schoolchildren gets an adequate amount of physical activity every day. The problem is particularly acute during the school year, when many children are lucky if they have recess, let alone daily physical-education classes. But experts say there are still ways to keep youngsters fit–and liking it.
Parents used to rely on schools to provide the daily dose of fitness, but because of budget cuts and an increased emphasis on academics, only 56 percent of American students are enrolled in phys-ed classes, according to NASPE. And scores of elementary schools are now considering eliminating recess, often because there’s a shortage of time to get through many newly mandated academic subjects. At the same time, the number of overweight children has risen sharply in the past few years, with almost 13 percent of those between 6 and 11 now classified as obese, according to a recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While children’s fitness levels are on the decline, the body of evidence linking exercise and brain function is growing. “Exercise is the Miracle-Gro for young brains,” says John Ratey, a psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School. In a four-year study designed by Tom Johnson, professor of physical education at Albion College in Michigan, children who participated in regular movement activities such as jump-rope, hopscotch and catching and throwing balls showed significant gains in scores on standardized mathematics tests. At the same time, teachers reported that the program helped improve the youngsters’ social and emotional skills.
Just how much exercise is appropriate for kids? On average, elementary-age children should spend at least 60 minutes every day in moderate physical activity, according to NASPE, and middle-schoolers should get at least 30 minutes. “If possible, parents should try to schedule activities in 10- or 15-minute blocks of time throughout the day to help reduce fatigue, frustration and boredom,” says Stephen Quagliani, a certified athletic trainer and consultant to Kessler Rehabilitation Corp. in West Orange, N.J. “The overall goal is to make physical activity a way of life.”
With the TV and the computer continuously sounding their siren songs, getting kids off the couch can be no small feat. The key, experts say, is that exercise should not be forced on children, but should help them master new skills and build self-confidence. Disguise exercise as fun whenever possible. Even nonstructured activities like walking the dog or sledding can help keep kids fit. “Physical education has failed,” says Dr. Albert Hergenroeder, chief of adolescent and sports medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital, “if we have a large proportion of young adults who think they have to have a personal trainer to teach them how to break a sweat.”
If a trip to the tennis court or a long walk in the park isn’t enough to get your child going, incentives can help. Skyler Moran, for example, “earns” a minute of computer or television-watching time for every minute he plays a sport, rides his bike or roller-skates. “It’s not a perfect system,” says his father, “but it does provide incentive for him to exercise. Our goal is that if he develops healthy habits now, he’ll be happier later in life.”
At the moment, parents still have to carry the ball when it comes to raising physically fit children, but there are some hopeful signs that help could be on the way. A few health clubs have begun adding classes for kids so the whole family can work out together. The East Coast chain Sports Clubs has recently introduced Sports Clubs for Kids programming in several of its locations. Among the offerings: KidSpin, a class where children 8 to 15 ride spinning cycles while watching movies of everything from distant galaxies to tropical rain forests.
Some schools have begun to replace those humiliating dodge-ball games and rope climbs from decades past with activities kids genuinely enjoy. Bethesda Elementary School in Thompson Station, Tenn., holds an annual intergenerational dancefest in the school parking lot where kids, parents and grandparents shake to the freeze, the chicken dance and the twist. And the Union City school district in Union City, Mich., has adopted a program designed by Albion College’s Johnson called Project First Step. It’s aimed at encouraging parents to join their children in activities like playing with Hula Hoops, tossing Frisbees, picking blueberries and even shucking corn. Who knows? Along with “do your homework,” kids may one day begin to hear another daily exhortation: “Don’t forget to go out and play.”
