YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Spring 2017 | Page 19

ACTIVE BODIES
BUILDS
STRONG KIDS
Explore the program that’s helping children get active and develop healthy habits for life!
ost of us know that children are
supposed to get at least 60
minutes of physical activity a
day. And one hour spent being active
sounds like a pretty easy goal, doesn’t it? 
M
From a young age, children are
generally fit and active, with toddlers
and preschoolers spending as much as
six hours per day engaged in physical
activity. This level of activity drops
considerably when children enter
school and it’s easy to see why. As they
get older, demands for their time
increases, making it challenging to get
an hour of exercise in per day. While
some children achieve their exercise
quota through sport, non-sporty kids
are often left with few options. Active
Bodies is a YMCA program that’s trying
to change this.
With the help of teachers, this
innovative program is engaging school
children in physical activity outside of
interschool sport; kids who aren’t
participating in sport can even have a
say in the activities they’ll enjoy during
the six-week program. These include
personal training type activities,
self-defense classes, and dance-based
exercise that are concentrated on
non-competitive fitness options.
Program director, Paula Butcher, said
the Active Kids program aims to get
children moving and strengthen their
connection to activities that will
improve their health and wellbeing. ‘The
program allows children to focus on
their own abilities, leaving them feeling
strong and confident. Being fit and
active is key to good health in kids.’
With less than one-third of school-aged
children getting their required
60-minutes of physical activity, Paula
and the team at Carlton Baths knew
they could help. Not only did the kids
learn exercises such as lunges, squats
and burpees, one student correctly held
a plank for more than 16 minutes!
‘We saw an
opportunity in our
area to provide an
easy option for
schools who are
looking to provide
an alternative
fitness option to kids not participating
in sports,’ Paula said.
There was a resoundingly positive
response from the children who took
part in the program, with hockey and
self-defense classes being the most
popular activities.
‘I liked the personal training stuff
because it showed me how easy it is to
keep healthy,’ said Ellen, one of the
participants in the
program.
The team at Carlton
Baths are looking
forward to
delivering similar
programs in
schools which, in
turn, will help to
achieve
permanent healthy
changes in the lives
of many children.
SPRING 2017 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE
19