2013-05-25T04:47:35-04:00 Kelly Murumets http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/author/index.php?author=kelly-murumets Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Kelly Murumets Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2338119 2012-12-20T17:19:55-05:00 2013-02-19T05:12:01-05:00

Kelly Murumets http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-murumets/
Warm winter clothes and sports equipment, such as ice skates, a sled or a soccer ball give kids a gift that's more than just exercise -- these gifts help children foster a connection to the outdoors, help with cognitive development and teach social skills.

Lately, there's been a lot of buzz about active video games being a new tech solution to the inactivity crisis in Canadian kids. While active video games -- also called exergames -- may seem like a plausible way to get kids to exercise more, a recent review of academic literature suggests this may not be the case. In fact, based on this research, Active Healthy Kids Canada and its partners, the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (HALO-CHEO) and ParticpACTION, advise against active video games as a strategy to help kids meet the daily physical activity guidelines.

So, while active video games are a good way to break up sedentary time, like sitting on the couch, and may get heart rates up briefly, it's not enough to meaningfully contribute to the 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity children and youth require daily. In order to get the recommended daily amount of physical activity and teach kids physical literacy, kids need to be encouraged to take part in a wide variety of real physical activities that are fun and get their bodies moving and hearts pumping.

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That's why ParticipACTION is encouraging kids to get outside and play this holiday season -- whether it's in the backyard, at the school yard, or at one of Canada's picturesque parks. Active video games are appealing to kids at first, but the novelty wears off, and kids don't tend to stick with them. They also do not offer the fresh air, vitamin D, connection with nature, and social interactions that come with outdoor active play.

So try mixing up your routine with a new activity that kids can learn and enjoy. Have you ever been snow shoeing? Get active over the holidays as a family -- it sets a great example for your children and places high value on the benefits of physical activity that accumulates through life.

Visit ParticpACTION.com for more tips on how to stay physically active with your family this holiday season and on how to maintain that enthusiasm for active play throughout the year.

]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2131105 2012-11-14T17:56:20-05:00 2013-01-14T05:12:01-05:00

Kelly Murumets http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-murumets/
Play is not only an easy, accessible and affordable way to get children more physically active, but it has the potential to improve a child's physical, emotional, social and cognitive well-being. It's not a frill or a waste of time -- according to the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card, play has been shown to improve and foster motor function, creativity, decision-making, problem solving and the ability to control emotions.

Playing outside kept generations of kids happy and healthy, but somewhere along the way, we stopped.

According to a recent survey by ParticipACTION, more than half of Canadian parents of school-aged children (50.4 per cent) played outdoor active games, such as hide and seek and tag, every day as a child; however, only 19 per cent of their children do now.

Is it really possible that, in one generation, we have forgotten how to play? Or is it just that we're too busy or too scared to make play a priority? As TV and video game screens beckon our kids out of their backyards and onto their couches, and as the news media pelt us with dramatic stories of stranger danger and crime, it takes a strong parent to defend his or her child's right -- and opportunity -- to let loose and play.

In a world where society encourages parents to feel good about keeping their kids at arm's length at all times, the irony is that the better parent may be the one who lets his or her child run freely through the neighbourhood with friends. In a world where a good parent is always there to catch his or her child when he falls, the better parent may be the one who gives his or her child the leeway to scrape a knee and make mistakes.

Too much sitting -- even 'safely' in your living room -- is actually one of the biggest dangers our children face. Regardless of how active a child is, excessive sedentary behaviour is related to the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

When play is constantly placed at the bottom of adults' agendas, our children are missing out on a world of benefits -- a world where kids can form their own attachments, make their own friends, test their own boundaries and shape their own identities.

So, how do we bring back play? First of all, we acknowledge the power of play and check our own assumptions -- and fears -- about what our kids should be doing with their time. We consider dialling back the scheduled clubs, lessons and activities to make room for free time, outside.

We encourage our kids to visit parks and playgrounds without an agenda, we volunteer to watch the neighbourhood kids as they play together in the yard, we limit the amount of time our kids are allowed to access screens and we teach our kids how to be street smart and safe when they're outdoors.

It seems radical, some might say controversial, to encourage our kids to stray from our watchful eyes -- even for a minute. The point is not to throw caution to the wind, but to loosen the reins a little bit. Not just for fun, but because play is a crucial component of a healthy childhood. Let them play!

]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1324771 2012-03-09T07:50:06-05:00 2012-05-09T05:12:02-04:00

Kelly Murumets http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-murumets/
Sometimes, this obsession with measuring ourselves against others seems like the Canadian way -- especially when it comes to our cousins to the south, the United States.

Canada has long boasted a higher life expectancy, and lower obesity rates than the U.S. And somehow, we have convinced ourselves that this makes us superior -- even deserving of praise by comparison. We may eat too much fast food, but have you seen those buffets in the States? We may be couch potatoes, but The Biggest Loser would never really work up here. It's time to wake up and smell the sweat socks.

According to the OECD, 60 per cent of the Canadian population aged 15 and above is overweight or obese, compared to 68 per cent in the U.S. Yes, this signals that our health outlook may be slightly rosier, but are these numbers really something to write home about? Are we just looking for more excuses not to tackle the problem? We know we have an obesity epidemic, but at least we're not as bad as the States?

Any way you slice it, we cannot be proud of these numbers. And we cannot be encouraged by the fact that only seven per cent of Canadian kids and 15 per cent of adults are active enough to meet physical activity guidelines. We know that physical activity is important in combating obesity, but we're just not doing it... or doing enough of it.

Perhaps part of the problem is that we continue to frame physical inactivity as part and parcel of the obesity issue. Sure, we all have to eat well and move more to maintain, or achieve a healthy body weight, but that downplays the fact that physical activity has a huge positive role to play beyond this. It's not just about getting exercise to get fit, it's about working up a sweat to fend off cancer, improve our moods, battle depression, and ward off heart disease.

Did you know that even a single workout can give you measurable health benefits? Even a single session of heart-pumping aerobic activity can reduce risk factors for diabetes and heart disease, such as triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and insulin resistance, as well as increase the "good" (HDL) cholesterol. You get these benefits within hours of working out, and the benefits can last up to three days.

And more than just improving your body's inner workings, physical activity can boost self-confidence, enhance your sex life, introduce you to new people, reduce anxiety, and help save the environment.

With all these benefits, it's a wonder getting active is not way more popular. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.941654 2011-08-31T11:08:51-04:00 2011-10-31T05:12:02-04:00

Kelly Murumets http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-murumets/
Next year, a huge event will add another layer of enjoyment to July through September, when the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games take place. Canadians will join others from around the world to revel in the drama and glory of the Games. The pride of where you live and where you come from will bring nations together.

But have you stopped to think about what the true common denominator of the Games is? It is not necessarily athleticism, competition or even patriotism. It is sport.

Whether at a global, national or grassroots community level, sport is a universal language that is understood by all. The boundaries of sport -- whether via its technical rules or acceptable behaviours -- are consistent. Sport has life lessons to teach, and if you are a participant rather than just a spectator, you gain even more. Unfortunately, sport participation is on the decline in our country. Over the past two decades, sport participation rates in Canadian youth aged 15 to 18 dropped from 77 per cent to 59 per cent -‐ and in adults, from 45 per cent to 28 per cent.

As you know, I always say that we are in the midst of a physical inactivity crisis and Canadians simply need to move more. Sport has a huge role to play in facing this crisis head-on for the simple reason of it being active at its core. But it provides numerous benefits beyond health improvement. Social benefits, including camaraderie, opportunities for mentorship and even crime reduction, can all be linked to the uptake of sports activities. Sport makes significant contributions to the well-being of youth -- socially, as well as physically.

Knowing all this, don't you think sport should have its own national celebration to honour what it brings to our lives? Well, it does! Sports Day in Canada on September 17 provides an opportunity for Canadians to showcase a passion and love of sport. The more we extol its benefits and highlight sports' principles of excellence, fairness, inclusion and fun, I hope the more Canadians will pick up the banner. Not just a banner for a community team or for Canada at the Olympics and Paralympics, but the banner of sport in general.

So next time you watch or participate in a sport -- and hopefully you continue to do so beyond the summer months -- think about what it does for you, your community and society as a whole.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.872445 2011-06-08T09:12:38-04:00 2011-08-08T05:12:01-04:00

Kelly Murumets http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-murumets/
But nostalgia goes the other way as well. You probably also recall playing outdoors with your friends and siblings until it got dark, at which point, you quickly rode your bike home. Today, you, your kids and grandkids are well strapped in the car and are safe from secondhand smoke on a plane; however, you won't see as many freewheeling children reaping the benefits of unstructured outdoor play.

We are in the midst of a physical inactivity crisis. Recently, the Canadian Health Measures Survey showed that only seven per cent of children are meeting the recommended 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per day.

Active Healthy Kids Canada has shown that, in the prime-time after-school period from 3 - 6 p.m., only about 15 minutes of this type of recommended activity is being enjoyed.

But, it is not just our kids who are suffering from this deficit; only 15 per cent of adults aged 18-65 are getting the recommended 150 minutes a week.

What is going on?

There are many barriers holding us back from being as physically active as we can be. We are spending too much time sitting sedentary in front of screens -- whether at home, work or play. We rely too much on our cars and not enough on active transportation. We have lost touch with nature and the benefits of the great outdoors. Balance eludes us as our workplaces, schools and extracurricular activities demand more of our time. Funding to programs and organizations that support activity are at low levels. Our neighbourhoods and streets often do not provide a safe zone for physical activity.
How do we find workable solutions?

In Canada today, parents, caregivers, schools, government organizations, corporations and not-for-profits all need to work together to address the issue. For example, how can kids get outdoors after school if they don't have safe places to play? How can kids cycle, wheel or walk to and from school if they don't have safe routes? How can kids run in the playground if there are municipal bylaws that disallow it? How can kids access local facilities and programs if they don't exist and/or parents can't afford them?

It is important that, as parents and caregivers, we ensure that we limit screen time during the after-school period and encourage our kids to be outdoors. We know that, if kids are outdoors, fighting the 'nature deficit disorder' afflicting our kids today, there is a higher likelihood that they will be physically active.

Let's all make sure we put physical activity front and centre, for our future and for our grandchildren's future. You don't have to run a marathon -- you have to start with a single step. What will your step be?
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