Calorie Consumption

In America, a changing environment has broadened food options and eating habits. Grocery stores stock their shelves with a greater selection of products. Pre-packaged foods, fast food restaurants, and soft drinks are also more accessible. While such foods are fast and convenient they also tend to be high in fat, sugar, and calories. Choosing many foods from these areas may contribute to an excessive calorie intake. Some foods are marketed as healthy, low fat, or fat-free, but may contain more calories than the fat containing food they are designed to replace. It is important to read food labels for nutritional information and to eat in moderation.

Portion size has also increased. People may be eating more during a meal or snack because of larger portion sizes. This results in increased calorie consumption. If the body does not burn off the extra calories consumed from larger portions, fast food, or soft drinks, weight gain can occur.

Regular physical activity is good for overall health. Physical activity decreases the risk for colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. It also helps to control weight, contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints; reduces falls among the elderly; and helps to relieve the pain of arthritis. Physical activity does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial. Moderate physical activity, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking five or more times a week, also has health benefits.

Despite all the benefits of being physically active, most Americans are sedentary. Technology has created many time and labor saving products. Some examples include cars, elevators, computers, dishwashers, and televisions. Cars are used to run short distance errands instead of people walking or riding a bicycle.

The belief that physical activity is limited to exercise or sports, may keep people from being active. Another myth is that physical activity must be vigorous to achieve health benefits. Physical activity is any bodily movement that results in an expenditure of energy. Moderate-intensity activities such as household chores, gardening, and walking can also provide health benefits.

Evidence is limited on specific foods or dietary patterns that contribute to excessive energy intake in children and teens. However, large portion sizes for food and beverages, eating meals away from home, frequent snacking on energy-dense foods and consuming beverages with added sugar are often hypothesized as contributing to excess energy intake of children and teens. In the area of consuming sugar-sweetened drinks, evidence is growing to suggest an association with increased overweight in children and adolescents. Consuming sugar-sweetened drinks may be associated with overweight because these drinks are high in calories. Also, liquid forms of energy may be less satiating than solid forms and lead to higher caloric intake.

Children spend a considerable amount of time with media. One study found that time spent watching TV, videos, DVDs, and movies averaged slightly over 3 hours per day among children aged 8–18 years. Several studies have found a positive association between the time spent viewing television and increased prevalence of overweight in children.

The recent national guideline for walking adults is about 10,000 steps per day. How far is 10,000 steps anyway? The average person’s stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles. A sedentary person may only average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. For these people adding steps has many health benefits.

A reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day until you can easily average 10,000 per day. Example: If you currently average 3000 steps each day, your goal for week one is 3500 each day. Your week 2 goal is 4000 each day. Continue to increase each week and you should be averaging 10,000 steps by the end of 14 weeks.

Wearing a pedometer is an easy way to track your steps each day. Start by wearing the pedometer every day for one week. Put it on when you get up in the morning and wear it until bed time. Record your daily steps in a log (see the Log Your Steps page). By the end of the week you will know your average daily steps. You might be surprised how many (or how few) steps you get in each day.

There are many ways to increase your daily steps. Use your imagination and come up with your own list:

1. Take a walk with a sister, brother, friend, parent or grandparent
2. Walk the dog, or the neighbor’s dog (if you don’t have one)
3. Use the stairs instead of the elevator
4. Walk to the store
5. Get up to change the channel
6. Plan a walking meeting with your friends
7. Walk over to visit a neighbor
8. Get outside to walk around the yard

Continue to track your daily steps and/or mileage; and keep notes on how you feel, how your body is improving, or other changes you are making to improve your health. If you feel sick, tell your parents or school nurse, sometimes walking too many steps too fast, may not be the right thing to do.

It is however our recommendation that you fit 30 to 60 minutes of dedicated walking into your routine at least 3 to 4 days a week. You can start with as little as ten minutes per day and gradually increase.

WHY:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity among U.S. children ages 6 to 11 more than doubled between 1980 and 2006.

Academically, American kids are lagging internationally in mathematics skills. And in Washington state, legislators had to grant a reprieve on requiring high school graduates to pass the math section of the WASL.

All of which adds this: 23 kids at View Ridge Elementary in Bremerton are taking steps that can improve their lives.

From the school day’s opening until the final bell, each of the second- and third-graders in Sandy Trudel’s class wears a pedometer. Each day, they add up the number of steps — and miles — they’ve come since school opened last month.

At last count, the kids had walked nearly 500 miles.

It’s a terrific idea. The kids are walking toward healthier, more active bodies — and minds. New research suggests that the more the body works, the more the mind is stimulated. That parallels similar findings for senior citizens; Mayo Clinic researchers have found that regular exercise reduces the chance of developing mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.

As one student put it, “Exercise is food for the brain.”

There’s also a direct connection to math — students measure miles and steps they’ve taken, and convert them into data for bar graphs and charts on an overhead projector.

The kids are loving it. And that’s a good start toward a wider appreciation of exercise, physical fitness and nutrition that can benefit them the rest of their lives.

We commend Sandy Trudel for her initiative and dedication in launching this project, and we encourage other classrooms to join hers in walking toward a brighter future for our children.

You can walk towards good health and brain power too and win lots of great rewards with the Kids Count Rewards Program!

What 1980’s Band Climbed The Charts With Their Egyptian Walk Performance?

Answer: The Bangles

Liam Sternberg wrote the song after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance, which reminded him of figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs. “Walk Like an Egyptian” sang by the Bangles, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1986. The song reached a peak of number three on the UK Singles Chart in November 1986 and reached number one in the U.S. on December 20, staying at the top of the Hot 100 for four weeks, carrying it over into January, 1987.

The song is the first song by an all-female group playing their own instruments to top the Billboard singles chart. The perception that ancient Egyptians normally walked in such a way has been reflected in other items of popular culture such as the song “King Tut” performed by comedian Steve Martin. Ancient Egyptian sculptures reflect the subjects walking normally.

Click here for utube videostream Walk Like An Egyptian - Bangles in Concert 

Walking and safety is a concern for all, especially those who walk in busy high-traffic areas.  There are many things to be aware of for instance, what about crossing the street?

In some areas there are signs, signals and roadway markings to help you cross safely.  Do you know what these signs and signals look like?  At Walk2bFit we feel that teaching walking safety is just as important as providing you information on the important benefits of walking for fitness and health.   More here…

Send us a photo of your most worn shoes and we’ll know you’ve been out there pounding pavement, jumping, hopping, sliding into home plate!

Send us a pic of you in action shooting hoops, skating, whatever you do that keeps you active - we will publish it on our blog!

Send your photos to admin@walk2bfit.org

Playground Fun – Great for family and friend interaction - free!

Now that schools in session, when you don’t have time to exercise your body, exercise your mind!

Check out this cool game link

Math Baseball at www.funbrain.com