Alaska News

Keep those kids active, even if the weather is freezing

Sunday night, a dear friend and our kids ventured out to see the new Freeze art exhibit on the Park Strip.

Now, mind you, getting out of the door was no easy task.

My suggestion that we go OUTSIDE was met with, "OHHHHH, Mom it's sooooo cold! Can we watch a movie or play the Wii instead?" I gently reminded them that WE ARE ALASKANS! So get your coats. ... and hats ... and gloves ... and long johns ... and neck warmers ... and definitely don't forget your balaclavas, because it's COLD out there kids!

Pure joy ... that's the only way to describe the 2 12 hours we spent exploring the art made from ice and snow. My son Brycen's personal favorite was the submerged cars frozen solid in a man-made pond. You could see that the cars' headlights were still on as we slipped and slid on the ice peering down into its depths. I loved watching all five kids run around the Park Strip. Their hearts were happily beating and their bodies moving. They hardly noticed the cold due to the FIRE component of the exhibit. Two fires warmed chilly fingers just enough to venture back out to play.

As a health teacher for the Anchorage School District I'm really happy I live in a city that encourages its people to get outside -- even in the cold. In our Anchorage classrooms, as is true in our entire country, we are experiencing an obesity epidemic. One in three kids in our schools is now overweight or obese. Sixty-four percent of Alaskans overall are in this same category. Seventy percent of overweight/obese kids become overweight/obese adults. The health risks related to being overweight/obese are tremendous. Nearly unheard of just a few years ago, type II diabetes is on the rise in our elementary schools.

So what can we ALL do to help curb this epidemic?

• Commit to taking a family walk around the block every night. Kids need a minimum of an hour of physical activity a day. A simple walk outdoors accustoms children to the outdoor environment, which sadly is becoming an unfamiliar territory for modern children. The exercise also improves our children's physical and mental health. And they might even get to know their neighbors. What a gift that would be.

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• Pack fresh fruit and vegetables in your child's lunchbox every day. Kids need five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables a day.

• Encourage your child's school to follow the Anchorage School District's wellness policy. It says no junk food or soda will be sold in our schools. It also states that food fundraisers will only include healthy foods versus the old paradigm of cookies and brownies. Healthy food fundraisers are not only good for our kids, they can make a lot of money when we get creative.

• Studies show that today's families are eating up to 50 percent of their meals out. If your family is on the run, ask to see the nutritional handout of your favorite fast food restaurant and make healthy choices.

• Look at your child's cereal box. The Anchorage School District recommends that cereal have no more than 8 grams of sugar.

• Send your child to school with a water bottle. The health benefits of drinking at least eight glasses a day are astounding.

Anchorage offers many other amazing ways to keep our kids, and their parents, healthy. Check out the Cuddy Family Ice Skating Park. It's just beautiful and it's right behind the Loussac Library.

Our swimming pools offer many activities and warmth. (MANY thanks to the "People For Pools" who work hard to keep our pools open and available to the public.)

Parks and Rec also offer activities for walking adventures, programs for our little kids, belly dancing, yoga, self defense and so much more. Check out their website, and get active!

Our city really is working on ways to keep folks active. Thank you Anchorage for encouraging my kids to step into a healthy future!

And for today, we're off to Westchester Lagoon to skate and enjoy the barrel fires!

Sara Peebles is a health teacher for the Anchorage School district.

By SARA PEEBLES

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