Many of us have children who are very young -- and very busy!  But as they age the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they get less active -- especially girls.  Many like to turn on the video games, the computer or the television rather than do something that will raise their heart rate for a while.  Recently I had to work a deal with my 11-year-old to get her to come out and run a mile with me!

So what can you do to get your kids active?  First, here are the stats -- they may seem overwhelming but they put things into prespective a little bit.

Kids and Activity: the Facts

The CDC came up with some staggering statistics when they surveyed more than 11,000 high school students recently.   The  found only "12%...engaged in 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity three or more times a week... By contrast about 70% of the students surveyed said they watched at least an hour of television every school day. About 35% said they watched 3 hours or more of television on each school day."

"This lack of exercise is killing us, say researchers at the CDC and the American College of Sports Medicine. According to a joint statement they issued this year, approximately 250,000 deaths a year in the United States can be attributed to physical inactivity." -- US Department of Transportation website

To combat this, the American Heart Association says children and teenagers should be involved in at least an our of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day!  That's tough for working parents to make sure happens.  Fewer kids are electing to take a gym class in junior and senior high schools, the CDC says

So what can we do?

Encouraging an Active Lifestyle

Yes-- if we expect them to have an active lifestyle, we may need to practice what we preach and get active too.  But if you're already checking out Runningmoms.com, you are either already trying to be active or thinking about it.  Which is great!  But if your kids ask you to do something with them that's active, you may want to take them up on it!

But other options include supporting school initiatives.  Each year during the spring and fall seasons, my children's principal hosts "Run/Walk Club".  It is a free activity.  The school gets a grant which helps pay for their tshirts.  And they can walk or run around the "big track" or "little track" (age dependent) for an hour after school.  Parents can join them!

Take 10, a website and program that has suggestions for teachers on doing activity in 10 minute chunks.   Thus, spreading the 60 minutes of activity out throughout the day.

Kidnetic.com has great suggestions on how you can be active outside -- even when its snowy!  It recommends playing tag in the snow, pulling your friends around in a sled and even just simply making snow angels.

As for running specifically, may sites recommend having parents take their kids to their own races, and signing them up for kids races. In the picture above, three of us had just "relayed" a duathlon.  Our youngest (pictured in white), 7-year-old Grace did the kids duathlon the day before. So far the girls have had a great time doing races like that.  Girls on the Run has a program and there are races (sorry boys, girls only!) in nearly every state during the year.

Girls on the Run says starting now, will get them in the habit, "Learning to value physical activity early in life increases the likelihood of participants staying physically healthy into adulthood. Studies show that those who develop exercise habits by their teen years are most likely to maintain those habits for life."

Good luck in your quest to keep your kids active and healthy!

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