With its popcorn parties, pirate stories and weekly visits by a frisky mutt named Vincent Dog Gogh, Miss Pearson's class at Taylor Elementary School in northern British Columbia is a cool place to be.
How do you encourage a healthy, active lifestyle to your kids? Share you kids' favourite sports and activites with other readers in the comments section.
So cool, in fact, that Pearson and her students were recruited to appear in "Village on a Diet," the popular TV series at the heart of CBC's huge, health-loving Live Right Now initiative. In a 40-minute "boot camp" with personal trainer Mike Veinot, the kids squealed, sweated and sighed through pushups, step-ups, jumping jacks, wheelbarrow races and one-footed hops. All while buff, bristly scalped Veinot belted out his manic mantra: "Go, go, go, go, go!"
Failing a mini fitness test
Of the 20 kids, seven or eight flew through the mini fitness fest. But more than half the class had trouble finishing the exercises, and some were too pooped to carry on. Two children even broke down and cried. "The kids who had a tough time were the kids who were overweight," says Veinot. "What really bothers me the most about what we did in Taylor is that there were so many kids who were not fit or in shape. The sad thing is that as they get older things are going to get worse."
The first season of "Village on a Diet" has wrapped, but CBC's commitment to kids' fitness through Live Right Now continues. Next up is "Run Run Revolution," a two-part documentary that tells the story of a dynamic group of 12- and 13-year-old boys and girls from Ottawa's Pinecrest Public School as they gear up for the gruelling Boston Marathon Weekend. The kids' 12-week journey begins with boot camp workouts before and after school, and will culminate in the trek to Boston, where they'll join 5,000 runners in a five-kilometre race and relay challenge.
Page 1 of 3 – Discover the small steps you can take to start getting active with your kids on page 2.
