Teaching Kids to Read and Respect Their Body

Author: Kristen Deleo

We all know it's important for kids to learn to read words. Did you also know it's beneficial to teach kids to read their own body? Young athletes develop a respect for their body that comes from knowing the magnificent ways their body responds to the demands of exercise. Studies have shown that kids who respect their body are less likely to do things to harm their body, like smoke or use drugs. So it's important that we, as parents and educators, teach kids a few simple principles of exercise response.

Don't worry—you won't be bogged down with the science. Kids learn best by doing. So the next time your little ones are running on the soccer field or taking the family dog for a walk, point out a few things happening in the amazing machine that is their body. Use your kids' natural love for exercise as a teaching opportunity. Here is a simple guideline:

Imagine the body is a well-oiled machine, like a car. As it zooms around the track, it stops at a few checkpoints along the way.

Body Checkpoint #1
After the onset of activity, prompt your kids to stop briefly and notice how their body feels. Ask them, "Do you feel warmer, like you want to take your jacket off?" Or, "Do you feel like your body is waking up?" Explain that their heart and lungs are stepping up to the challenge of the activity. Blood is moving faster through out their body, warming up their muscles.

Body Checkpoint #2
At the height of their workout, signal your kids to take notice of how their body is responding to an even higher demand. By using the "Talk Test," you can show them how hard their lungs are working. Here's how: While exercising, ask your kids to sing a simple song or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. They'll notice that their breathing is a little labored in doing so—concrete evidence that they're working hard. During intense exercise, you can direct them to put their hand over their heart where they will be able to feel it pounding. Explain that their heart is pumping blood, which carries oxygen to their working muscles. (In a future column we'll explore ways kids can use math to check their heart rate.)

Body Checkpoint #3
It's important for kids to learn that sweating is a good thing. Some kids actually avoid sweating because they associate it with being dirty or stinky. Teach kids that the body is like a machine, and sweating is its cooling system. Sweating prevents the machine from overheating. Encourage kids to embrace sweating by saying, "If you're sweaty say hot tamale!" or some other fun phrase. Also, give out high-fives for sweat. Kids love to wipe their foreheads and give you a wet one.

Body Checkpoint #4
To better understand how the muscles respond to exercise, instruct your kids to do a wall sit. Here's how: Stand against a wall with feet hip distance apart. Edge your feet away from the wall as you slide down into a sitting position (without letting their bum touch the ground). After thirty seconds or so, you'll feel a burning sensation in the quads. That's your cue to stand up and stretch the quads. It's exciting for kids to actually feel the muscles working. But even if kids aren't doing a specific strength training exercise, like a wall sit, it's still important to stretch the working muscles. Running around a basketball court, for example, challenges many muscles in the body and requires recovery stretching. To illustrate this concept, make a fist to represent how a muscle looks when it's contracted. Imagine how uncomfortable it would be to hold that tense position all day? Then slowly open your hand to model how that muscle looks when it relaxes into a stretch.

Body Checkpoint #5
Ask your kids how they feel after completing their intense activity. Relaxed? Proud of themselves? Happy? Those warm and fuzzy feelings are easy to explain. Exercise releases endorphins in the body. Endorphins are hormones that reduce stress and boost your mood. It's just another fascinating way the body works.

All these checkpoints will help you illustrate to your kids how "cool" their body is. Of course, in the lexicon of kids, "cool" brings respect.

Book Review: Total Activation: The New 5 Step Fitness Mantra

Author: Madeline Ellis

I recently had the opportunity to read the new book Total Activation—The New 5 Step Fitness Mantra, penned by author, Nitin Chhoda. Chhoda was born and raised in Mumbai, India and moved to the United States in 2002. He and his wife are both licensed physical therapists and fitness professionals in the state of New Jersey. They also own Total Activation Fitness and Physical Therapy, a company dedicated to the enhancement of the mind, body, and spirit.

The first section of the book is written in a conversation-type format between two characters named Madan Gupta and his friend Rita. Gupta portrays a young man who immigrated to the land of plenty at 23 in order to live a "richer, happier and longer life." He left his modest Indian lifestyle behind and embraced the lavish American lifestyle, finding that America did indeed have plenty to offer-plenty of food and plenty of choices. "They say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, which is exactly what I did when I first moved to the United States," he says. "I started eating pasta, red meat, and sugars that are part of the American diet." It wasn't long before Gupta joined ranks with the majority of Americans who are overweight and unhealthy, gaining 50 pounds in 4 years.

Rita, on the other hand, is American born and an exception to the rule. She is very health conscious, working our regularly and eating a healthy diet. Throughout the book, Rita nags Gupta about his weight and they trade ideas about the reasons why there is an obesity problem in America and ways to resolve it. Their conversation allows the reader to explore some of the differences between the Indian and American lifestyles and the way each affects our health. For example, a child growing up in India is taught to eat a healthy, balanced meal regardless of taste, smell and visual appeal, whereas Americans let their taste buds dictate their food choices. Gupta also recalls that the meals in India are prepared fresh with no processed ingredients, but a large portion of the food in America is prepackaged, processed foods.

The story eventually leads to a 30-day step-by-step plan designed to slowly integrate changes in five dimensions of your life: emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and intellectual. Each day you incorporate one change in each of the five dimensions. You begin each day with meditation, which is a big part of the plan, and incorporate one change in each of the five dimensions. Nitin provides detailed instructions for each step as well as worksheets for each day.

For example, day 1 is about powerful personal change. Emotional–throughout the day, try to concentrate on the task at hand, not worrying about tomorrow or fretting the past. Physical—make it a point to walk a little more than usual by parking further away from the office or farther down in the grocery parking lot; something that you aren't accustomed to so that you burn calories. Social—look at your friends and family more closely, unraveling new ways to connect with them. Spiritual–pay more attention to your surroundings. Intellectual-begin a journal to record your thoughts and feeling.

I personally found the book very enlightening. I liked looking at the facts through the eyes of someone who has seen both sides of the coin; a healthy underweight child growing up in India who was transformed into an unhealthy overweight adult shortly after moving to America. We all know there is an obesity problem in the U.S. and it appears that nothing we have tried so far is working. I feel there is much to be learned from the Indian culture and have decided to give the 30-day plan a try. I will return at the conclusion of the program to report on my progress and I encourage you to join me in my quest. I must admit that I am looking forward to Day 20 where I can take time to smell the roses!