Motor Skills Build Confident Kids

Every parent wants their child to be self-confident.  Many well-intentioned parents try to reach that goal by meaningless praise for everything their child does.  But, it doesn’t fool the kids into being self-confident.  No, confidence comes from something - and that something is ability.  Kids (and adults) earn confidence by becoming proficient at skills and abilities.  In early childhood this begins with motor skills and movement ability.  Mastering motor skills enables kids to experience the reward of achievement that comes from hard work.  It is a great feeling to master new skills that you’ve worked hard to achieve.   It helps kids to face challenges with an attitude of fun and excitement rather than fear and trepidation.  This enhances their confidence and enjoyment of life.  

Very young humans experience life primarily in the physical realm.  It is a huge event in the life of a child when he learns to walk, jump, skip or turn a cartwheel.  These events have far more impact on a person’s psychological makeup than does learning to conjugate a verb or solving a math problem.   Children form a perception of themselves based on how well they compare physically to their peers.  It is more important to a 3-year-old to be able to keep up on the playground than it is to read or do math.   For young children, feeling competent physically generates a belief that ”I am capable”, a foundational component of a healthy self-esteem.  A healthy self-esteem is important for inner peace and happiness and to tackle life with gusto. 

The gift of motor skills and “physical literacy” is a gift for a lifetime.  And, there is a window of time from birth to 7 years old that is the critical time to teach these skills.  By age 7, kids with poor motor skills already struggle with self-esteem which can turn into a lifetime battle.   Therefore, the babies in my family begin this process in the first week of life.  I gently move their tiny arms and legs to begin teaching the patterns they will need to walk, throw, kick, etc.  I carefully move their bodies in every direction – upside down, each side, swinging, etc.  We progress each month and build on the patterns.  Their pediatricians are always amazed at how strong, confident and capable these little ones are compared to their peers.  However, this level of development should be the norm, not the exception.   And it could be the norm if each parent learned how to work with their baby to teach them these skills.  It would literally change the course of each life!  Research conclusively shows that good motor development prepares a baby/toddler brain for academic learning.  The same parts of the brain used for motor development are also used for academic learning.  If you have a baby or young child in your life, don’t stand by and watch their motor development, be intentional about helping them with it.  You won’t believe what they can learn!

Schools get a failing grade in P.E.

Research shows that parents understand the value of physical education in obesity prevention, learning readiness, and brain development.   Parents want more activity for their children during school hours.  They want curriculum that enhances motor development and teaches healthy habits for life.  Why, then, are schools cutting Physical Education at all grade levels?  Why do administrators disregard the hoards of research that proves physical activity enhances academic learning?   Are they ignorant of it, or just don’t care?  And if they are ignorant of it, WHY?  A school administrator’s job is to stay current on the research and provide the richest learning environment possible for kids.   

Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that our kids get one shot at their education.  And if it’s not done well the kids are ones who suffer.  The job of parents is to be an advocate for their child to protect them from harm.  This includes harm by clueless school systems!  PLEASE, become informed and involved in your child’s school.  Read the research and be active in promoting positive change.  Kids should have regular activity breaks because it not only burns calories and teaches healthy habits, it also produces brain chemicals that enhance learning and quiet behavior.  Kids actually learn more in less time.  Their focus increases, memory increases, and they process information more efficiently.

I have visited and read about many school systems who have integrated movement into the classroom in response to the latest research.  Some kids are sitting on exercise balls during class.  Some classes take a 10 minute activity break.  Some schools have increased their Physical Education time.  There are so many ways to incorporate movement into the school day!  It sure isn’t difficult, so why isn’t everybody doing it?  Maybe laziness?  It is easier to do things the way they have always been done.  That approach doesn’t require any energy, creativity, problem solving or critical thinking.  But, the damage will be evident 10 – 20 years from now when we can’t go back and do it over.

Please click on the link above (in the first sentence) to get started with your education.  Then, Google “physical activity and learning” or other key words to become informed.  Then, gather other parents and become advocates for change in your child’s education.  You will be glad you did, and please tell us about it!

Habits Against Obesity

Overweight and obesity – is it nature or nurture?  It is overwhelming for most folks to figure out how to fight the fat.  I was talking with Chad, a co-worker, yesterday about our personal battles against obesity.  We figured out it’s been a lifelong journey for both of us, and one that we expect to continue always.  Chad has been sharing some tips with his Dad who is waging a frustrating battle with the “bulge”.  We realized that our successful battles against obesity was really a series of very small steps.  It is the changing of habits, one at a time, that together produce a powerful result.  Chad and I both reached a point in life when the weight was gaining on us.  The habits and techniques we had used before were no longer working.  We had to learn something new.  The battle against obesity isn’t ONE diet or one simple solution.  When we talked about all of the things we’ve learned and changed in our lives, we saw what a lifetime journey this is.  Here are some of the new habits we’ve learned: 

First, the food thing:

First thing in the morning, sip a 16 oz. glass of water before breakfast.  This will hydrate your body and help you to avoid overeating for breakfast.

Sip 40 more oz. of water throughout the day – sometimes we eat when we are really thirsty 

Eat 5 – 7 servings of fruit and vegetables each day.  This will provide your body with critical nutrients and replace higher calorie junk foods.

Keep a fruit stand stocked with enticing fruits on the kitchen counter.  You’ll reach for that first instead of junk food.

At meals, drink water instead of soda, milk or juice.  Get your nutrition from your food.  Add lemon to your water if you like some flavor.

When eating out, cut your meal in half before you start eating.  Take half home for lunch or dinner the next day.  This helps save money too!

Choose whole grains instead of white, processed stuff.  It satisfies your body with less because of the nutients and fiber. 

After entertaining at home, donate leftover sweets to the snack table at work or to the neighborhood kids.  Everybody will love you for it!

Skip the white rolls served with restaurant dinners or burgers.  Eat just the meat or main meal.  It’s an easy way to cut calories and fat (remember the butter you put on that roll?)

After physical activity, fuel your body with some high quality protein, not sweets.  It will sustain your energy and blood sugar much more effectively.

If you have a busy schedule like I do, keep half of a protein bar with you always.  If you have a snack attack, you are prepared with decent fuel for your body.  Add a glass of water too.

Keep some minty gum in your car or purse.  Sometimes we want a taste in our mouth and use food when we really aren’t hungry.  A piece of minty gum can be satisfying, and freshen your breath at the same time! 

Next, the body thing:

Studies repeatedly show that people who get 8 hours of sleep a night are slimmer.  Chad and I have taken this to heart.  We have lots more energy.  A trick Chad learned: instead of watching TV until the wee hours of the night, get into bed at 10:30 and read.  Before you know it, you’re sleeping!

Get up early enough for your body to wake up and take time to eat some breakfast.  Every study shows breakfast eaters are slimmer.  Make yourself do it!  This one was hard for me, but I’ve mastered it.

Take a walk.  Add 20 – 30 minutes of walking to your day, even if you already exercise.  And, you don’t need to do it all at once.  It can be done in 3 intervals of 10 minutes each.  It’s the perfect brain break at work instead of coffee.

Do something to build more muscle strength.  The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest. 

These are just a few ideas - there are SO many more.  But, choose just one thing.  Do it for a month until it becomes a new habit.  Then, choose another new idea that makes sense for you.  Do that for a month until it too becomes a habit.  If you do this each month you will have made 12 changes in a year, and 60 changes in five years!  Think about that – it’s huge!   Chad and I have been making changes, one at a time, for 25 years (me) and 10 years (Chad).  The cool thing is that we’ve been able to maintain our high school weight as a result of our continued efforts.  We are always learning and changing.  And, you can help your family members too.  If you have kids, you can help them learn habits against obesity beginning in childhood.  That’s a gift for their lifetime.  When people tell me I’m lucky because I’m “skinny” they’re wrong.  I’m not lucky – this is no accident.

“Ya don’t get somethin’ for nothin’”, and “if nothing changes, nothing changes”, so get started on a habit against obesity today.  You really can make a difference in your life!  If you are already on a journey, what has worked for you?  Chad and I would love some new tips….

Fitness Is a Choice You Can Make!

I got a nice compliment today.  And it got me thinking.  I was out and about, and a lady about my age stopped me.  “Wow, you have a really flat stomach”, she said.  “You look great”.  “How did you do that”? 

“Well”, I said, “I do about 400-500 various kinds of crunches when I work out”.  Her mouth dropped open.  “Whoa”, she said.  I told her that I didn’t start out with that many.  I added a little at a time and now it’s not difficult.  And, it’s something she could do if she wanted to.  It only takes about 15 minutes three times a week.  A small investment for a flat stomach.  Besides the ab work,  I run 3 miles three times per week, do some strength and flexibility work, and choose carefully what I eat.  Stuff anyone can do, really.

You don’t get something for nothing ( my Mom taught me that).  And, nothing gets done only wishing and thinking about it.  Anything worthwhile takes some work.  We all know that.  I have heard comments like: “You are really lucky”, or ”I wish I could eat what you eat and be that thin” (usually a comment heard when I occasionally eat a dessert).  Well, I’m NOT lucky, and if anyone ate what I eat, they would probably be about the same weight.  The fact is that fitness doesn’t happen by accident.  It’s a conscientious choice every day.  And, everyone can attain a measure of it depending on what they’re willing to do.  And, it is a lifelong choice.  I weigh less now than I did in college, and am in better shape too.  But, it is because I have changed my daily habits one at a time over lots of years.  The cumulative effect of all those choices has been great. 

You can do it!  And don’t think it is beyond your grasp.  There’s nothing magical about it.  Search out good health habits.  Take your very worst habit and change that first – it could be finding a healthy alternative to chips or soda.  Or, it could be getting up off the couch and taking a 20 – 30 minute walk every day.  There’s plenty of information out there on what to do, but it won’t help unless you do it.  Start today!  You CAN do it!  And, somewhere down the road you’ll hear someone say, “boy, you sure are lucky”!  And you’ll say to yourself “lady, this is no accident”……

Obese teachers create sedentary students

I just got back from the National Convention for the National Association for Education of Young Children, held in Chicago. It was an awesome experience – 17,000 creative people who care about the future of our kids. I presented a session entitled, “Physical Literacy – Building Smart, Healthy Kids” and I had an incredibly positive response to this new message. You see, the answer to our problem of inactivity in kids isn’t “exercise”. Exercise is an outgrowth of physical literacy the way that reading is an outgrowth of academic literacy. We need to tackle the core of our inactivity problem, which is teaching kids the skills they need to be physically active – things like motor skills, coordination, agility, balance, spatial awareness, etc. Learning a comprehensive set of physical skills won’t happen by accident, any more than academic learning happens by accident. It needs to be planned and purposeful. Our national education motto is “no child left behind”, but we are leaving children behind in physical development every day! How sad that the bodies they live in will become a burden instead of a joy. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. We can do something to change it – we’re not helpless, and we need to do something besides just wringing our hands over the obesity epidemic in kids.

One thing I became very concerned about at the national conference, was the number of obese people teaching our young children. I was absolutely shocked at the percentage of overweight and obese people walking by our Gymtrix booth (Gymtrix is a DVD series designed to teach young children physical literacy skills). For the most part, the overweight and obese teachers walked passively by our Gymtrix booth, uninterested in a tool to teach physical skills to kids. But, we had many “fit” teachers who stopped, very excited about finally having a way to teach their students to be physically active. These teachers knew the joy and benefit of physical activity in their own lives and wanted to learn how to share it with their students.

Now, if an overweight or obese teacher has no physical activity in their own life, how can they be effective as a role model and educator to teach young children the importance of an active lifestyle? Would we expect academically illiterate people to teach our children to read? The answer is obvious. Yet, we are leaving our children behind physically, and then whining because they are couch potatoes and overweight. HELLO! Wake up everybody! Choose your preschool and day care carefully. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education has recently released national physical activity standards for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. In a recent study, NONE of the preschools and daycares studied met the minimum standards for physical activity!   Studies now show that one in five preschool children are already obese. This is a call to action and an appeal to educators, parents and administrators. Please quit talking about the problem and do something about it!!!

The years from birth to age 5 is a powerful window of time that will shape the abilities and habits of children for their lifetime. This is the time to set the stage for an active life by teaching kids the skills they will need to be active. Exercises for kids like flapping arms and legs to music and jumping up and down might burn some calories but it is not true education.How will kids learn to throw, catch, kick, leap, etc. unless we teach them? We can’t wait until kids are in school – we’ve lost precious time by then. And, schools are cutting physical education in favor of more academic curriculum. The irony is, motor learning develops the parts of the brain needed for academic learning. So, physical learning should be part of the curriculum of every school, for every age, because it prepares the brain for academic learning. And, it should be presented at intervals throughout the day to boost brain power, focus, and attention. What are you doing to fight obesity and give children the gift of physical literacy? Please, do it for the kids!

The Biggest Losers Lose More Than Weight

The Biggest Loser TV show has captured the support, attention, and fascination of Americans.  Folks are cheering for the contestants during their arduous and public journey of weight loss.  There are tears, laughter, confessions, angry outbursts, hugs, full body collapses, sweating, hope and hopelessness; all the stuff of soap opera drama.  

Each viewer can see a little bit of themselves in the contestants.  We can all relate at some level to their personal struggles as they work to rebuild their self-esteem and their lives, and become the whole person that they have dreamed of.  We cheer their successes and mourn their losses as some make it and some don’t.  But, what about their lives before they became “The Biggest Loser” celebrities, and what drove them to the quest for “fat fame”?

The truth is, being fat is miserable for everyone.  Nobody is truly happy fat.  Sure, there are happy people who suffer from obesity and remain happy in spite of their weight struggle.  But, nobody is happy about the fact of being fat.  Being fat makes every day harder than not being fat.  It is harder to move or get around; to find clothing that fits;  harder on the joints, heart and blood pressure;  harder to feel confident; harder to make friends and feel accepted.  And all of this makes it harder to enjoy life every day.

Before contestants on “The Biggest Loser” get to the show, they’ve already lost a lot in their lives.  Because they haven’t lost weight, they’ve lost opportunities and the freedom to live life to the fullest.  And when the days of loss add up to years lost, the regret and sadness is real.  For this reason, we applaud the efforts and successes of “The Biggest Losers”.

The simple remedy for obesity has always been calories consumed versus calories expended.   In other words, diet and exercise.  Despite all of the faddish solutions over decades, the simple truth is still the same.  The contestants on “The Biggest Loser” work hard to burn more calories than they consume, and it pays off.  It is a difficult journey and a enormous lifestyle change, but it does pay off.  The message for all of us and our families is that weight loss is achievable if we are willing to do the work.  Even better, we need to create healthy lifestyles in our children so they never have to endure the pain of the contestants on “The Biggest Loser”.

The next time you watch “The Biggest Loser”, ask yourself what the contestants might have GAINED by eating less and being physically active year after year.  The answer is huge.  As a friend once said to me, “nothing tastes as good as being thin feels”.  And you know what?  She was right.  I think the “Biggest Losers” would agree.

Former fatties get fit.

This February in Michigan is wild – COLD and snowy!  So, I am indoors running on the treadmill until warmer weather.  While I run, I’ve been watching “The Today Show” and their feature called The Joy Fit Club.  These people are awesome!  Each club member has lost over 100 pounds the old fashioned way – cutting back on calories and increasing activity.  Every person has a story about YEARS of battling fat and feeling defeated.  Now, their lives have been transformed!  It is so exciting to see the joy they have in their new bodies; the freedom, confidence, and control.  Why, I ask, can’t everybody get there?  What is the magic ingredient for success?  How did these obese people finally change their lives forever?   The consistent answer has been perseverance!  Never, never, never give up!  These former fatties decided to change their daily habits once and for all and they kept doing it day, after day, after day, until it became their new lifestyle.  Little changes, one at a time, until they reached their goal. 

 Watching the Joy Fit Club made me really thankful for the habits my parents taught me about eating and being physically active.  I’ve passed them along to my kids, and now they are working on the next generation.  We don’t watch much television – we are active instead.  We never sit down with a bag of chips as company, but always have fresh fruit available on our three-tiered fruit stand for snacks.  We play a lot  and even turn work into play – we dance or sing when vacuuming, throw pillows when making the bed and have laundry fights before it goes into the washer.  It might seem silly to some, but now I realize the impact of it.  It helps us to be happier.  It helps us to enjoy each other and life in general.  And, now I understand that these small habits add up in a big way.  My kids eat fewer calories and move more, just like the Joy Fit Club members have learned to do.  Only my kids have always done it because they learned the habits from infancy.  The Joy Fit Club members had to learn the hard way – by suffering years of frustration and embarassment that led to a final resolve to change.  Wow.  Am I thankful for my parents!  It’s not genetics here – it’s small daily habits that add up to something big.   The good news is that anyone can do it.  Yes, it’s hard.  Yes, it takes work every day.  And YES, IT IS WORTH IT!  A fit and active life can be more than a dream and the Joy Fit Club members prove it.  You can do it too!        

Kindness is Good for Everyone

Perhaps you’ve noticed that rudeness is on the rise.  Road rage, impatience, lack of consideration – often these come from lives that are too rushed or too self-centered.  Obviously, these actions are not good for people who receive them, but did you realize that the person FEELING and DOING these things is even worse off?  After all, if someone is unkind to me, I can walk away and resume my happy life.  But, the scrooge is stuck with himself and his feelings, and will certainly suffer more than anyone around him. 

So, what are the benefits of being kind, and how does an unkind person find a better life?  Studies have shown that kind and optimistic people have more positive relationships with others; are better able to cope with problems; have less stress and are therefore less prone to illnesses (from the common cold to heart disease); and, ultimately, live longer than pessimists.  People who have a positive outlook and are satisfied with their life also have less physical and social limitations due to pain; have more energy; feel more peaceful, happier, and calmer.  Psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky makes the following connection between kindness and a positive attitude: “people who commit kind acts feel generous, optimistic and cooperative, and they look at others more charitably”.  Practicing kindness toward others will make you feel better about yourself, and will benefit you in both business and personal relationships.  It increases the “feel good” chemicals in the brain, lifting your mood and energizing your brain and body.

Kindness can be practiced and learned, just like any other skill.  You can begin by focusing on the positive and on people’s good qualities instead of focusing on the negative and people’s faults.  My daughter used to say that “you see what you WANT to see”, so start looking for good things around you, and being thankful for them.  Replace the three Cs: Complain, Condemn, and Criticize: with the three As: Accept, Acknowledge, and Appreciate”. 

Here are some other “kindness skills” to practice:

• Smile more often – it relieves stress, releases endorphins, and makes the people around you feel good
• Think of ways to do something nice for someone else
• Notice other people’s acts of kindness and be gracious when someone is kind to you
• Offer help before others ask for it
• Volunteer in your community or make a charitable donation
• Leave a larger-than-usual tip
• Let someone cut in front of you in line
• Shovel snow from your neighbor’s sidewalk, carry groceries for an elderly person, or offer your bus seat to a pregnant women.
• Teach your children kindness by example
• Buy a soda for the car behind you at a restaurant drive-through
• Keep a pocketful of wrapped hard candies to offer to children you know
• Open the door for the person behind you

As you can see, the possibilities are endless.  It all starts with practicing a more positive outlook every day.  Soon, you’ll enjoy life much more, and so will the people around you!  Our lives are short and how we live our days is, of course, how we live our lives.  We each have the power to make each day joyful or unhappy.  What is your choice, and how are you making it happen?

(includes information from AAHPERD newsletter, November/December 2008)

Eat REAL food

I was running on the treadmill this morning, watching the “Today Show” and getting my news and weather for the day.  Denny’s restaurant is running a commercial that made me laugh but is completely true.  A customer at a fast food restaurant is paying for his food.  The cashier says, “I can’t take this money” and the customer says “why not”?  The cashier replies, “cuz it’s not real money”  to which the customer responds, “well, this isn’t a real breakfast”.  The camera then shows the “food” – pre-formed, fried things that can’t be identified as any particular food.  I laughed out loud, but it made me think.  Why are we eating food that isn’t real!?  Fake food doesn’t even satisfy us – we keep wanting more.  Our calorie intake skyrockets from the fat, but our bodies are left nutritionally starved.  When we eat fake food our senses are deprived of smell, taste, texture, color and the experience of sitting down and eating a real meal.  The chemicals in fake food can actually be addicting, causing us to crave more.  Fatter bodies, here we come – fast fake food is the perfect fuel for obesity. 

 GET REAL!  Real is always better than fake.  Real is what we crave in our lives and fake never satisfies.  Fake leaves us wanting more and then we try to fill our craving with more fake, and more fake, and more fake.  It’s never what we really needed or wanted in the first place and most people don’t even stop to think about what is happening to them.  They just keep chasing fake.  The sad result is fat, stressed, and depressed Americans.  C’mon – we are way smarter than that!  Let’s use our brains and save our bodies from fat, disease and misery. 

If you’re in a hurry, real whole food is faster and cheaper than fast fake food.  Throw a few things in your purse or brief case before you go out the door in the morning.  Things like an orange, apple, banana, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, cheese cubes (buy the bags of precut squares), almonds, cashews, trail mix, etc.  I could go on all day, but you get the idea.  Throw in a bottle of water too.  No cooking or preparation required!  It’s easy, cheaper than fast food, goes with you wherever and whenever you need it during the day, and it’s REAL!  It feels good knowing that you are taking control.  When you grocery shop, stop and think about what you are buying.  With each item that goes into your cart, ask  ”is this real, or fake”?  Fake is stuff that is processed - chemicals and things you can’t pronounce are added, or the food is changed from it’s natural state.  If at least 80% of your diet is whole, natural foods then you are making some great choices for good health.  Tip: I always keep some Luna or Clif bars on hand in case I have an enormous craving for something sweet.  These are organic, high in protein and come in mouth-watering flavors.  They save me from cookie and candy cravings about 3:00 – 4:00 in the afternoon. 

Take control and GET REAL!   How are you getting real?  Tell us and help others get there too.

Smarter babies

I want to tell you about an excellent resource – Wiggle. Giggle Learn. Tracey Stuckey, the Chief Creative Learning Officer, understands the critical link between physical activity and brain development in young children. Check out her blog here on WordPress. Also, I guest authored an article for Tracey that you might like. Go to

http://wigglegigglelearn.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/learning-to-write-letters-and-numbers-begins-during-infancy-and-toddlerhood/