Don physical activity and good nutrition go hand-in-hand?
Absolutely! Healthy children are both well-nourished and physically fit. As well as a wide variety of foods from the Five Food Groups, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. This includes spontaneous play like bike riding or tag, organized sports, and physical education. How can you encourage your students to become more active? • Role-model an active lifestyle and share examples of how you are physically active. • Schedule recess every day – make sure it’s not lost to other subjects or withdrawn as punishment. • Encourage active games like jump rope, kick-ball and tag during recess. • Urge your school to offer physical education every day if it doesn’t already. • Announce opportunities for physical activity, like school sports teams or local park and recreation programs. • Urge parents to set limits on TV watching, video and computer games. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggest no more than 2 hours a d
