Kids health

Every year around this time, I touch on kids fitness and nutrition.

With school starting, it is a good time to consider your children's activity level and nutrition as we move into fall and winter.

First, let's take a look at childhood obesity trends. It is estimated that one in three children in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Roughly estimated, 17 percent of children between the ages of 6 years and 19 years old are considered obese. Overweight and obese children run higher risk factors for health issues like asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

There are so many choices and recommendations on the best ways to get your children started with a healthy nutrition and fitness program. The best way to get started with a solid nutrition plan is to keep it simple. Good nutrition makes up a full 70 percent of our overall health and is essential in child development. Most children eat far too much sugar and junk food, slowing their nutritional progress as they grow and develop.

The basic formula any parent can follow is to stick to whole foods and avoid processed food and foods made with refined flour and sugars.

Here are a few good examples of simple changes you can make to your kids daily nutrition:

* Replace sugary snacks with fresh fruits

* Replace pastas with brown rice

* Replace ice cream with greek yogurt

* Replace snack chips with cheese

* Replace mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower

The next step is exercise and staying active. Now that we are coming off what was hopefully a very active summer for most kids, what is next? Many kids will be joining sports teams like cross country, football and other competitive youth sports. These programs keep our kids pretty active and with luck, very fit. But what about all the children that do not get involved with sports? Does P.E. class give them enough exercise? Of course not. Our kids need to keep moving, so what is the number they need to hit each day?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. It recommends children and adolescents from ages 6 to 17 get 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity. The guidelines state that the activity should either consist of moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity and should include vigorous-intensity physical or strength building activity at least three days per week.

For younger children, strength-building activity may include using playground equipment, climbing, or playing jump-rope for example. For tweens, examples of this type of activity include lifting relatively heavy objects or using body weight for resistance such as with push-ups or gymnastics. For older teens, weight training, interval training and other more aggressive types of workout regimens are recommended.

Note that whether you're young or old, it is always a good idea to have annual health check-ups or physicals so your doctor can advise you of any concerns he or she may have regarding your physical condition. Most schools require a youth physical before the child can start their first practice.

Here are some basic answers around a few myths regarding children's fitness. I have been asked this question many times over the past few years. "Can a child run too much and damage joints, growth plates, etc?" The simple answer is no. A number of studies have been done and the reports conclude there is no present data, nor scientific evidence that supports that children who run excessively are damaging key ligaments, cartilage or damaging growth plates. Your child is the best gauge for what he or she can do. Their bodies tend to shut down long before they wear out their pieces and parts.

The second question I hear a lot and this one tends to be wrapped in controversy, "Does strength training and/or weight lifting damage growth plates?" Many parents have heard that strength training is detrimental to bone development in children and believe that it is an inappropriate and/or unsafe activity for their child. However, in a number of studies, it has been shown that strength training enhances bone development. In one such 10-month study with 9- to 10-year-old girls, those who did strength and aerobic exercise increased their bone mineral density by about 6.2 percent, compared to about 1.4 percent for those who did not strength train. This research suggests that early increases in bone density will stick with these kids as they mature into adults.

It does make sense that if strength training is safe and effective for the frail elderly, you would think it would be pretty healthy for young people who have full joint movement and an abundance of energy.

Once you get your children's nutrition dialed in, keep it simple and consistent. Then work out a solid activeness level and follow these tried and true methods to keep them moving in the right direction:

Consistency - Set a schedule and hold your child to it. They will have many reasons not to exercise, but once they start, it is amazing how quickly they start to enjoy the activity. Set goals that can be reached easily then slowly make them more difficult.

Frequency - Do enough training and exercising to truly have an impact on their fitness level. Get some form of activity in every day. Turn off the TV and the game console long enough to get at least one hour of strenuous fitness into their day.

Progression - Set milestones and then celebrate the solid results as your child hits them. Encourage and reward your child for their results as they stay super active and achieve their goals.

Technique - Work with your child to ensure all activity is done correctly. An example would be proper posture which facilitates correct breathing and exercise performance. Working with your child on safe and correct ways to exercise will avoid sprains, strains and the inevitable 'ouch' that comes with healthy activity.

As with any sport or exercise activity, moderation and common sense are the keys to great results. Don't push your child too hard or let them exceed their limits. The net result will be a happy and healthy child.

Starting our kids at a young age with a great understanding about eating healthy and the importance of exercise will set a standard that many of them will carry forward as they grow and mature.

Judd Jones is a director for the Hagadone Corporation.