The first of a 4 part series written by Kew Gardens Health Group columnist Stephen Colomvakos

ACTIVE LIVING (part 1)

Having an active lifestyle is something we should all strive for as it helps achieve and maintain a healthy well-being.  The challenge, of course, is understanding what the parameters are so you can meet such goals.  And since the variables change depending on your age, this blog will be broken up into four parts to represent the different age categories:  Children, youth, adults and seniors.  For all intents and purposes, we’ll start with children (ages 5-11 years).

Taking part in exercise as a youngster can greatly impact one’s overall health for years to come.  We all know that physical activity can help prevent a number of ailments, such as cancer and heart disease, but it can also strengthen bones and muscles, which is crucial, especially during childhood. If your child is on the right track as a tyke, you help them develop a positive habit for them to follow well into adulthood.

Experts recommend that a child take part in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.  Now, you’re not necessarily going to get your six year old in the gym for weight training and spin class, but instead try to incorporate physical activity in a format that is more suitable to their needs.  While enrolling them is a sport of some kind is an excellent way to exercise, short of that, they can always make the best of even daily routines:  They can walk to school (if it’s close), or they can go on bike rides with you or their friends, just to name a couple of choices.  The idea here is to include both aerobic (running, biking, for example) and muscle-building exercises (like climbing on the jungle-gym at the local park).[1]

While I touched on some of the health benefits above, some others to keep in mind include:  Better posture and balance, increased concentration and improved self-esteem. So make sure your child takes advantage of all the options available to them, and help them grow up to be active, and more importantly, healthy adults.[2]

For more tips on this topic, please contact the health professionals at Kew Gardens Health Group.

Part two will cover youths (ages 12-17)

[2] Ibid.