Resources

The following websites may be of interest to you if you would like more information on the importance of physical activity and ideas on how to encourage fitness in your family.

For parents:

Florida On the Move is a fun, free, internet-based program designed to get people of all ages exercising a little more and eating a little less. The site provides a variety of tools to boost and keep track of physical activity. There are articles on topics like getting the whole family involved in exercise and how to avoid aches and pains in the process. In addition, the site provides ways to find partners, or Move Mates, for exercise support.

The President's Challenge is a program that encourages all Americans to make being active part of their everyday lives. No matter what your activity and fitness level, the President's Challenge can help motivate you to improve. There are special sections for kids, teens, adults, seniors and educators.

KidsHealth is the largest and most visited site on the Web providing doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. Created by The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, the award-winning KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health and wellness information.

Keep Kids Healthy is a medical and parenting website designed as “a Pediatrician's guide to your children's health and safety.” It is meant to supplement, rather than replace your doctor’s medical advice. In addition to providing exercise and fitness advice for kids, it provides everything from information on product recalls and immunization schedules to growth charts and a body mass index calculator. The site was created by pediatrician Vincent Iannelli, M.D., F.A.A.P.

For youth:

BAM! Body and Mind is an online destination for kids created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Designed for kids 9-13 years old, BAM! Body and Mind gives them the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices.

The 4girls Health website was created to help girls (ages 10-16) learn about health, growing up, and issues they may face. It focuses on health topics that girls are concerned about and helps motivate them to choose healthy behaviors by using positive, supportive, and non-threatening messages. The site gives girls reliable, useful information on the health issues they will face as they become young women and tips on handling relationships with family and friends, at school and at home.

Physical Activity

Life is hectic for most families. Parents and caregivers have work and kids have school. When you add in the elements of housework, meal making and carpooling, most of us are on overload.

But it still is important to make time and pay attention to physical activity for children, as well as parents.

Experts say physical activity is key to good health for a number of reasons:

Even more important for students is the fact that physical fitness delivers academic bonuses as well. Researchers say physical fitness has a direct impact on school performance. It also can improve self-image and promote positive social and emotional growth, all of which make for healthier and better students. In addition, studies have shown that aerobic activity may improve memory.

The idea of making sure students get enough physical activity, as well as good nutrition, are all related to the Coordinated Youth Initiative belief that Healthy Kids Make Better Students and Better Students Make Healthy Communities.

While exercise is good for everybody, it provides a double payoff for children, because while they build a healthy base today increasing their capacity for good academic performance, children also are laying the groundwork for a healthier tomorrow.

Experts say it is important for parents to get involved and participate in their children’s activities, because children with involved parents are three times more active than children with inactive parents.