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| Friday, April 06, 2007 |
| Regular, Purposed Exercise? |
5th grade seems to be the first year that the elementary schools do a full-scale health analysis during gym of all the kids.
When I had E's parent-teacher conference the other day, E was most excited to find out what her "FitnessGram" said, because a friend of hers (a boy) was told that he was underweight, and needed to gain weight to be healthy. E wondered if the same would be the case for her, b/c she's pretty damned skinny. As it turns out, her FitnessGram was missing, and wasn't sent home until yesterday.
She is not underweight. She's in the healthy zone for everything. Of course.
This is the thing: it came with all these recommendations for minimum requirements of exercise and activity for the kids --- 5th graders. Okay - if it said, "play outdoors or actively in a gym for an hour a day" I wouldn't be perplexed. At all.
But it had requirements for strength training, and flexibility, and core exercises (like sit ups).
Huh?
She's 10. Am I supposed to set up some in home calisthetics and yoga classes now?
I know that she's active at recess and during her after school class - she plays soccer in the fall, [nothing in the winter], softball in the spring, and roller skates and swims like mad in the summer.
Is this not enough? Normal, every day kid activities?
I feel like pushing a 10 year old to exercise in a deliberate manner is almost the same as telling them to go on a diet to be "skinny" (which she is).
At the same time, I was never taught to put deliberate movement into my daily routine, and I think I've suffered for it.
It seems unusual to me, that a 10 year old should be having an exercise routine.
Any thoughts?Labels: exercise, health, kids |
posted by Zuska @ 10:14 AM   |
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| 2 Comments: |
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I think deliberate exercise is important and needs to be taught just as we teach our kids to brush their hair and teeth. It's caring for our bodies.
It needs to be joyous and regular and part of life.
Yoga for a 10 year old sounds great to me! I'd go with her.
Taking a brisk walk each day is also a good activity. Heck, they have adult dodgeball games around here, there's a reason for recess and we all miss it as we age.
But I'm on the fringe that way.
I care about exercise, I care a lot.
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Actually, I don't think I'd have a problem with Yoga for E - we've considered it in the past, for the purposes of her highish anxiety personality (which she seems to be growing out of, thankfully).
Also, we are a carless family. This means we walk everywhere. And we're not a highly organized family. Which means we're always rushing so we're not late --- hence vigorous walking :)
I'm going to continue to contemplate the issue. I have been thinking for a long time now that I want them to have exercise as a part of their lives more than I did, but I keep thinking it's "later."
Perhaps later is now.
I just know they have so much already in their days - they're both very active with dodgeball, 4 square, basketball, soccer, tag, etc., at recess and outdoor/active play at their after school program. E resists it more than J does, though.
thinking ......
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I think deliberate exercise is important and needs to be taught just as we teach our kids to brush their hair and teeth. It's caring for our bodies.
It needs to be joyous and regular and part of life.
Yoga for a 10 year old sounds great to me! I'd go with her.
Taking a brisk walk each day is also a good activity. Heck, they have adult dodgeball games around here, there's a reason for recess and we all miss it as we age.
But I'm on the fringe that way.
I care about exercise, I care a lot.