Why should kids be more active?

Physical activity is as important to good bone health as a calcium-rich diet. By making bones work harder, active children build up bone mass. Long periods of time with little or no activity has been shown to lead to loss of bone mass, which puts people at risk for osteoporosis and broken bones.

Sadly, kids are spending more and more time watching TV and playing computer and video games. As a result, they're spending less time being active. No wonder childhood obesity has been making headlines around the country.*

In this article, we'll give you an idea of what activities help build strong bones, some ways you can encourage a more active lifestyle for your kids, as well as a special activity that builds both bone mass and gray matter!

* USDA, "Profile of Overweight Children"How much activity is enough?

In its Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends at least one hour a day of moderate physical activity for children to build bone mass.

Many everyday, fun activities help build strong bones:
• Walking fast
• Bicycling
• Jumping rope
• Dancing
• Playing ballWhat can you do to help your child be more active? Be a role model. When kids see you active and having fun, it's likely that activity will become a regular part of their lives.
Involve the whole family in activities like hiking, biking, dancing, basketball, or roller-skating.

Choose active outings. You'll all walk plenty during trips to the zoo, park or miniature-golf course.

Make it fun to have the kids participate in household activities like dog-walking or car-washing. If you do these activities together, they will seem less like chores and more like fun.

Set limits on TV and computer time, but offer alternatives like swimming lessons, dance classes and other fun activities.A fun way to fight inactivity and childhood obesity: The Treasure Hunt

What you need:
• The treasure: To encourage more outdoor activity, choose age-appropriate sports equipment or games geared to the season, such as balls, sidewalk chalk for Hop-Scotch and water toys.
• Bag or box to hide the treasure
• 3" x 5" index cards
• Black marker

How to do it:
Write a series of clues on the index cards with the marker.
The first clue leads to the second index card, the second to the third, and so on until the child finds his treasure.