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Manitoba Healthy Schools

Healthy Schools

Health Topics:  Physical Activity

Benefits of Physical Activity…

  • Children who are more physically active show better academic performance.
  • Regular physical education classes in school will keep kids active through their teens and help them control their weight.
  • Children who are more physically active have a better self-esteem and body image.
  • Regular physical activity improves children’s mental health and contributes to growth and development.
  • Regular physical activity reduces the likelihood of obesity. Both obesity and inactivity increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
  • Daily physical activity improves children’s skeletal health. This, in turn, reduces their risk of developing osteoporosis in the future.
  • Regular physical activity in children can become a habit that carries over into adulthood.
  • Regular physical activity leads to better behaviour and a healthy lifestyle.
  • An increase in youth participation in physical activity will cut health care costs by decreasing future risk related diseases.
20 Reasons to be Physically Active
Feel good Have fun Be fit Be strong Improve flexibility Relax Reduce stress Manage weight Improve skills Reduce fat Stay healthy Fight boredom Have energy Increase self-esteem Prevent illness Have fun with friends Build healthy bones, muscles, and joints Reduce feelings of depression and anxiety Increase capacity for learning Live longer

Parents and teachers become role models by becoming more active themselves.

What can YOU and YOUR FAMILY do to promote physical activity?

  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Walk after supper or during your lunch break.
  • Rake the leaves, shovel snow, or wash the car as a family.
  • Dance, skip, play catch, shoot hoops, swim, etc.
  • Organize neighbourhood games.
  • Play outdoors.
  • Leave the car at home when you can.
  • Learn a new activity.
  • Walk to the store.
  • Set goals together as a family.
  • Organize neighbourhood and/or family games.
  • Challenge yourself and try an activity you have never tried before.
  • Walk the dog and invite someone to join you.
  • Have commercial exercise breaks. Do a series of exercises while you wait for the commercials such as jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups, etc.
  • Get off the bus one stop earlier.
  • Park the car in the farthest possible spot.
  • Dance to your favourite music for 10 minutes each day.
  • Ride your bike, in-line skate, or skateboard.
  • Try something new like yoga, pilates, or karate.
  • Go bowling for the next family gathering.
  • Participate in community, provincial and national events that offer physical activity opportunities. You can support a worthwhile event while enjoying some physical activity.

What can your SCHOOL do to promote physical activity?

  • Take the everyone for school walks.
  • Have a hallway dance.
  • Develop activity theme weeks.
  • Have “Motion” breaks in the classroom.
  • Walking/cycling school bus (www.resourceconsvation.mb.ca).
  • Announce physical activity facts over the PA system.
  • Incorporate physical activity into other subject area lesson plans.
  • Encourage student council to organize physical activities such as Active Spirit Days, school dances, and physical activity challenges. • Teach a new sport/activity/dance during lunch hour or before or after school.
  • Encourage students to have a year-long commuter challenge.
  • Offer fitness classes before or after school or during lunch hour.
  • Participate in charity events that promote physical activity. Students can raise money for a good cause and be active.
  • Try offering activities and games that are played in other countries and by other cultures.
  • Organize intramurals that include staff and students.
  • Make sports equipment available to the students during recess and lunch.
  • Include physical activity information in the school newsletter.

Click here for some examples of what Manitoba schools have done to promote physical activity.

Physical Activity Statistics

  • Over the past 25 years, the overweight/obesity rate of youth aged 12-17 has more than doubled from 14% to 29% (and the obesity rate has tripled from 3% to 9%).
  • Manitoban children (ages of 2 to 17 years old) are more overweight and obese than Canadian children in general. 31% of Manitoban children are overweight/obese compared to 26% of Canadian children.
  •  In Manitoba, 59% of youth aged 12-19 years old are not active enough for optimal growth and development.
  • The best protection from obesity comes from unorganized play. This includes going for a walk, running, riding bikes, playing on the playgrounds, and playing ball hockey on the street. Children who do this are about 50% less likely to be fat compared to those who don't.
  • Over half of 5-17 year olds in Canada are not active enough for full growth and development and become less active as they get older.
  • Children (aged 2-11 years old) in Manitoba spend an average of 14.5 hours per week watching television. Teens (aged 12-17 years old) spend an average of 12.8 hours per week watching television.
  • 76% of Canadian children watch TV, read, or play computer games after school.
  • Almost half of Canadian children and youth spend three or more hours per weekend day on the computer, which ranks one of the highest in the world.
  • Doctors are seeing more cardiovascular risk factors and other medical problems related to excess body fat.
  • 4 in 10 Canadian children have a least one risk factor for heart disease due to inactive lifestyles.
  • Only 10% of Canadian youth are active enough to receive any heart health benefits.
  • The appearance of type 2 diabetes in children is increasing. In Canada, the problem is particularly apparent among Aboriginal children.

Sources:

Active Healthy Kids Canada. (2005). Dropping the Ball, Canada’s Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

CAHPERD. Get active. Stay active.

Campbell (1988). Campbell's survey on well-being. In Fitness Directorate (Ed.). Active living and health benefits and opportunities. Ottawa: CAHPERD.

Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute. (2002). Manitoba Results of the 2002 Physical Activity Monitor. http://www.cflri.ca/cflri/pa/surveys/2002survey/2002_mb.html

Fishburne, Graham. (1991). "The Well-Being of Children and Youths". ACFWB Newsletter. May.

Freedman, D.S., Dietz, W.H., Srinivasan, S.R., and Berenson, G.S. (1999). The relation of overweight to cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics, 103(6), pp. 1175-82.

Government of Manitoba. (2004). Manitoba’s comparable health indicator report. http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/documents/pirc2004.pdf

Health Canada (2002). Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Living: Teacher’s Guide to Physical Activity for Children. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau uap/paguide/child_youth/pdf/KidsFamguideEnFINAL.pdf

Health Canada. (2002). Physical activity levels & obesity in children & youth. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/paguide/child_youth/media/stats.html

Manitoba Education, Citizenship, and Youth. (2004) At the heart of education. http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/ks4/docs/parents/pehe/full_doc.pdf

Public Health Agency of Canada. (2003) Diabetes. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ccdpc-cpcmc/diabetes-diabete/english/risk/

Statistics Canada. (2002). Television Viewing. http://www.statscan.ca/Daily/English/021202/d021202a.htm

Tremblay, M.S. and Willms, J.D. (2000). Secular trends in the body mass index of Canadian children. Canadian Medical Association, 163 (11): 1429-1433. http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/163/11/1429.pdf

Tremblay, M.S., Inman, J.W., and Willms, J.D. (2000). The relationship between physical activity, self-esteem, and academic achievement in 12-year-old children. Pediatric Exercise Science, 12(3), pp. 312-23.

Tjepkema, Michael, Shields, Margot. (2005) Measured Obesity: Overweight Canadian children and adolescents. Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey Issue No.1. Statistics Canada.

For more information about Healthy Schools, please contact:

Healthy Schools
Phone:  (204) 788-6620
Email:  healthyschools@gov.mb.ca