Shape Up with Family-friendly Fitness Ideas

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 04:02 pm

The mere mention of starting a family-wide fitness routine may send everyone running for cover. But incorporating more physical activity into your family life doesn’t have to be a painful and serious undertaking. Here are three family-friendly fitness moves to get fit and have fun — together.

 Grandmother and granddaughter at a park hula hooping and smilingGet Hooping

Remember Hula-Hoops? As a kid, you’d twirl those giant plastic rings on your waist, wrists and ankles until you just couldn’t do it anymore. Well, they’ve resurfaced as a hot exercise trend, with hooping classes springing up in gyms across the country. Hooping offers a great workout: It strengthens your core muscles, boosts your balance, and according to the Mayo Clinic, offers a great aerobic workout when you keep it up for 10 minutes.

You don’t even have to take a class to reap the benefits. Numerous DVDs provide a routine (and a soundtrack). You can also create your own. Just buy everyone a hoop (each hoop should reach from the floor to between the user’s waist and chest, according to the American Council of Exercise), crank up your favorite dance music, and have a group twirl-a-thon in the basement or family room. You’ll all have such a blast you won’t even realize you’re exercising.

 Hit the Floor

You used to go to dance clubs, but that fell by the wayside when you had a family. Pick it back up by holding regular dance parties at home. Teens may be too embarrassed to join in, but younger kids will love it. Like hooping, vigorous dancing (e.g., salsa, hip-hop or belly dancing) gives you an aerobic workout – about as much as jogging or cycling. It also improves balance, posture, endurance and flexibility. Step it up a notch and try Zumba, a Brazilian dance-fitness program taught in gyms and dance studios. DVDs and video games can also teach you the moves at home. Note: Zumba’s got some pretty sexy steps, so you may want to make this a girls-only activity!

 Go Ahead and Jump

Prizefighters do it to build strength; kids do it to have fun. That combo makes jumping rope an ideal family fitness activity. Jumping rope for 10 minutes offers the same cardio benefit as jogging an eight-minute mile. It also builds bone-mineral density, muscle endurance and coordination. Ropes cost less than $20; buy at least one for every two family members so you can pair off for team competitions. There’s nothing like a little family-friendly fitness rivalry to keep you motivated!



July 31, 2013 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

Child Health & Safety News Roundup: 07-22-2013 to 07-28-2013

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 04:02 pm

twitter thumbWelcome to Pediatric Safety’s weekly “Child Health & Safety News Roundup”- a recap of the past week’s child health and safety news headlines from around the world.

Each day we use Twitter to communicate relevant and timely health and safety information to the parents, medical professionals and other caregivers who follow us. Occasionally we may miss something, but we think overall we’re doing a pretty good job of keeping you informed. But for our friends and colleagues who are not on Twitter (or who are but may have missed something), we offer you a recap of the past week’s top 30 events & stories.

PedSafe Top Headline of the Week:

July 31st is Nat’l Heatstroke Prevention Day!!  One Decision: Tragic Results (Video)
Please Look Before You Lock!   http://t.co/kE2TlR2t0x

PedSafe Headline of the Week #2:

Kids less than 6 yrs old who mistakenly drank caffeine-laced energy drinks comprise half the cases of energy drink toxicity! http://t.co/EwpoTccWE3
Please watch your kids around these drinks!

July 30, 2013 | Filed Under Awareness | Leave a Comment 

One Decision: Tragic Results – Please Look Before You Lock (Video)

Last updated on July 5th, 2018 at 05:37 pm

“It could never happen to me.” “I would never leave my child alone in the car – not for a minute.” “No GOOD parent would ever forget their child!”

But it happens every day. According to KidsandCars on average 38 children die in hot cars each year, about one every 10 days from heat-related deaths after being trapped inside motor vehicles. This year alone there have been 23 child vehicular heat-stroke deaths. And this is not counting the life-altering injuries experienced by the children who survive.

It happens…

Napping in the back seatChildren climb into unlocked cars to play. A child is sleeping in the back-seat and a parent “cracks open the window” and runs into the store for “just one thing” (…illegal in some states but in a NHTSA survey, 25% of parents admitted they had done this at least once). A spouse / partner / caregiver carefully buckles the baby into the car seat to drop them off at daycare. Maybe it wasn’t their day to drive…or maybe something distracts them for just one second. It’s just a little departure from the usual morning routine – only this time they forget the baby sleeping in the back seat (…more likely now since the American Academy of Pediatrics changed their guidelines to recommend that children remain rear-facing in car seats until they reach the age of two.  A parent looking in the rear-view mirror no longer sees their child’s face – just the back of the car seat – whether their child is in it, or not).

It happens…

How hot vehicles get…and it doesn’t have to be 100 degrees outside for the consequences to be devastating. According to NHTSA’s report on “Unattended Children and Cars“, even cool temperatures in the 60s can cause the temperature to rise well above 110 degrees Fahrenheit inside your car. The inside temperature can rise almost 20 degrees F within the first 10 minutes”. Within an hour the temperature jumps around 50 degrees F. If the outside temperature is in the low 80’s F, the temperature inside the vehicle can reach deadly levels in only 10 minutes. Slightly rolling the window down has almost no impact on these temperature increases.

Take a look at this simulation produced by the SafeKids organization of how fast a car can heat up when exposed to direct sunlight

Children’s bodies – in particular infants and children under 4 years of age – are at greatest risk for heat-related illness. They absorb more heat and are less able to lower their body heat by sweating. Because a child’s thermoregulatory system is not fully developed, their bodies warm at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. A core body temperature of 107 degrees F is considered lethal because cells are damaged and internal organs shut down.

It happens…

ray rays pledge logo

To the most loving, caring parents…the most responsible caregivers. These are not “those horrible people who should never have been allowed near children”. Take a minute to read Kristie Reeves-Cavaliero’s story about the day her husband Brett took one wrong turn and drove to the office instead of dropping their beloved daughter Sophia (Ray Ray to those who loved her) off at daycare. It wasn’t until they met for lunch later in the day that they realized something was wrong. By that time Ray Ray had been in his truck for 3 hours. An hour and 19 minutes later she was gone.

But this isn’t just Ray Ray’s story. More than 1 in 5 kids who die of heatstroke in a car were supposed to be dropped off at daycare that morning – and no one questioned their whereabouts until it was too late. Now Kristie has made “Ray Ray’s Pledge” her lives’ work – to establish a “daycare safety net” and make sure this doesn’t happen to another child. Other parents have made similar pledges. To share the story of their children’s tragedies here, in interviews, in every public forum possible – in the hopes of saving just one family the pain they have endured. There are ways to keep your child safe during the hot summer months. 

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT ANOTHER TRAGEDY??

  • Child Vehicle Heatstroke Prevention Tips from NHTSA:
    • Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle. Never leave infants or children in a parked vehicle, even if the windows are partially open.
    • Do not let your children play in an unattended vehicle. Teach them that a vehicle is not a play area.
    • Make a habit of looking in the vehicle – front and back – before locking the door and walking away.
    • If you are dropping your child off at childcare, and normally it’s your spouse or partner who drops them off, have them call you to make sure the drop went according to plan. Ask your childcare provider to call you if your child does not show up.
    • wheresbaby4Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as:
      • Keep a large object such as a stuffed animal in the car seat when it’s empty. Move the stuffed animal to the front seat when you place the child in the seat as a visual reminder.
      • Place your purse, briefcase or something else you need in the back seat so that you will have to check the back seat when you leave the vehicle
    • If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle: call the police. If the
      y are in distress get them out as quickly as possible and cool the child rapidly. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately
  • Take Ray Ray’s Pledge
    • You Pledge: to call your child’s teacher if he or she will be late or absent
    • Teacher Pledges: to call YOU immediately if your child does not arrive at his or her usual time
  • Download the KidsandCars Safety Checklist and keep it handy
  • July 31st is National Heatstroke Prevention Day
    • Join the Office of Emergency Medical Services at NHTSA in a day of social media conversation and help them get the word out about the dangers of heatstroke when children are left in cars. @NHTSAgov will be tweeting and posting on Facebook every hour on the hour from 10am – 5pm using the hashtag #heatstroke. Please join them…
    • For more info and sample tweets click here 

“If you think it can’t happen to you, then it could and it might…  Tell yourself it COULD happen to me and then do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn’t.”     …kidsandcars.org

And if you ever catch yourself saying…”I’ll only be gone for a moment”… please do two things:

  1. Consider the following question: If someone gave you a million dollars – would you leave it sitting there unattended in your car – even for a moment? Isn’t your baby’s life worth more?
  2. Consider watching this video…and then maybe even share it:
    Before you do, know that it is very graphic and may be upsetting…so please think twice before you watch it.

Please also know that this was a re-enactment – no one was harmed in the making of this film

July 25, 2013 | Filed Under Awareness | 11 Comments 

Camping Tips for Safe and Fun Family Bonding Experiences

Last updated on September 12th, 2015 at 10:29 pm

Family CampingWhy on earth would any parent go camping with their kids? Between the packing, the hauling and the dirt, it’s enough to send you running to the Holiday Inn. But it’s these very same rustic realities that make a weekend or even a week in the woods the perfect glue for a great family bonding experience.

“Unlike other types of vacations, you aren’t led around, signs don’t tell you what to do or where to go, there aren’t lines to wait on,” says Rick McClintock, executive director for the National Association for Therapeutic Wilderness Camping. “As a family, you have to depend on each other to create the activities and the structure for the day and to provide the necessities you all need for living.”

Camping isn’t just about working together as a family, of course. It’s about having a blast in a world where the regular rules don’t always apply. Things that may be taboo back at home — starting campfires, skinny-dipping in the moonlight or sliding in the mud — may be perfectly OK in the woods. “My daughter Zoe and I fight so much less when we’re camping, because I’m no longer “the enforcer” that I am at home. She’s more relaxed, I’m more relaxed, and we can both enjoy bending the rules together,” says Jamie Scurletis, 49, of Rumson, N.J. Sound interesting? Here are some tips to get you started:

Cut your teeth with car camping.  Hiking into the woods with kids and setting up a backcountry camp is a recipe for stress if you’ve never done it before. Find a campground that allows you to park your car right next to the spot where you’ll pitch your tent. That means your supplies — and your quick escape — are seconds away.

Start short and stay close.  Think in terms of two nights away and two hours from home. There’s less at stake and less to pack. Save big, long trips for when you’re more confident campers.

Choose a campsite with care.  Campgrounds range from pastoral and peaceful to downright dreadful. Ask friends and family who camp what campgrounds and campsites they suggest. You can also find campground reviews online.

Borrow what you can.  There’s no sense in investing big bucks in all the gear only to find out camping isn’t for you. Ask friends or relatives if you can borrow the basic stuff. Check out The Coleman Company for a laundry list of basics (as well as other good beginner camping tips).

Do your homework.  Find out ahead of time what facilities your campground does and doesn’t have. It’s no fun showing up, for example, and finding out that everyone else has bikes because the woods are laced with great backcountry carriage roads. Do some research about local attractions, such as hiking trails and white-water rafting, as well as rainy-day bailouts like movie theaters and bowling alleys.

Stage a backyard dress rehearsal.  A dry run just a handful of yards from the house can help everyone get comfortable with the idea of camping. It’ll also give you a chance to get acquainted with the tent and other equipment. Now’s the time to discover that the air mattress your neighbor loaned you is flat as a pancake a mere 10 minutes after you blow it up.

Even with careful planning, camping can present real challenges: drenching rains, mosquito swarms or fishhooks in the hand can test even the heartiest camping clans. “There are definitely times that you’ll be sitting under a tarp playing cards as the rain pours down, and thinking, ‘wow, this really stinks,’” says McClintock. “But when you think about it, when’s the last time you and the kids actually played cards together?”

**************************************************************************************************************************

Editor’s Note:  As a true Canadian, I grew up camping every summer for extended periods and we have been passing that tradition on to our son.  It is a great way to bond doing things you don’t normally get to do – like figuring out where to string a clothesline and making s’mores and popcorn over a fire.  But as the article says, do check out online camping supply lists and make sure you plan for excessive sun and heat as well as rainy days.  After record heat during our camping trip in Kentucky last week we were very grateful for the canopies we brought and the opportunity to do local underground cave tours in cool temperatures.  Also make sure you have a complete first aid kit that is stocked for camping – including burn creams and sunburn treatments.  We found ourselves in need of these but were far from any well-stocked shop or pharmacy.  Hope you have safe and enjoyable camping experiences – they can provide memories to last a lifetime!  Cheers, Audra.



July 24, 2013 | Filed Under Community | 3 Comments 

Child Health & Safety News Roundup: 07-15-2013 to 07-21-2013

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 04:05 pm

twitter thumbWelcome to Pediatric Safety’s weekly “Child Health & Safety News Roundup”- a recap of the past week’s child health and safety news headlines from around the world.

Each day we use Twitter to communicate relevant and timely health and safety information to the parents, medical professionals and other caregivers who follow us. Occasionally we may miss something, but we think overall we’re doing a pretty good job of keeping you informed. But for our friends and colleagues who are not on Twitter (or who are but may have missed something), we offer you a recap of the past week’s top 25 events & stories.

PedSafe Headline of the Week:

Restroom safety – a valuable lesson for young children http://t.co/9p85kt8AKD

July 23, 2013 | Filed Under Awareness | 1 Comment 

Best Water Safety Products: Because Kids Don’t Naturally Float

Last updated on July 24th, 2013 at 10:55 am

keeping your family safeNo one has eyes in the back of their head, but when it comes to water and young children an extra set of eyes would sure help keep children safer. Today I’m talking about some water safety products that can act like an extra pair of eyes.

If you have a pool and also have young children, non-swimmers, or a special needs child, think about investing in a wrist alarm. Also a great product to have when you are traveling or visiting grandma’s pool and your child doesn’t understand water safety. The child wears a colorful wristband that locks into place so that they can’t remove the band. If the sensor on the band is submerged in water the base station lights up and sounds a piercing alarm. I recently found the Safety Angel 2 system and can confirm that the alarm made me jump, which is exactly what you need if you think your toddler was napping, the door to the pool was locked, the gate was closed, or any other comforting thought. Click here  to watch a video about the inventor, a former Special Forces Combat Diver.

If you do have a pool, I’d also invest in a door alarm for all outside doors that lead to the pool, ornamental pond or nearby stream or retention pond. Amazon has a huge selection. Of course, don’t forget to fence your pool with a self-latching gate.

Swimfin

When you are in the pool with a non-swimmer, not-so-confident swimmer or a special needs child, think about getting a SwimFin. I test drove one and they earned a permanent place in our swim bag when my children were younger. While only a Coast Guard approved life jacket will keep a child truly safe, SwimFin leaves arms and legs free to practice swim strokes, do huge jumps, keeps a child afloat and best of all, they look so cool your child will actually ask you to wear it!

Think I’m being overcautious with my layers of protection? Watch this video to be reminded of how creative children can be in crafting escape strategies. It’s not just children though, if you have elderly parents with dementia or Alzheimer’s they are also at risk. I have heard of many people who also buy alarm systems for their pets, though this video would indicate that where water is concerned some dogs just want to have fun!

If you are thinking ‘that seems a bit much to spend on something I don’t need’, these products are comparable in price to a car seat, which everyone buys, yet drowning kills almost as many children as car accidents every year.

Of course there is no substitute for direct adult supervision, because you are the lifeguard on duty, but technology can make your job easier, and your child safer.

July 22, 2013 | Filed Under Community | 7 Comments