The World Health Organization initiated Move for Health Day nine years ago to bring awareness to the looming crisis of sedentary and inactive lifestyles. I have been writing a Move for Health Day Western column since 2002, and more than ever people spend time in front of computer screens or televisions.
Children spend an average of six to seven hours a day in front of one screen or another. Canadian physical guidelines call for 60 minutes a day of physical activity, and only nine per cent of boys and four per cent of girls get this amount of exercise. This is bad news for our future medical costs, not to mention our kids’ futures.
Inactivity and health-related problems are an international epidemic. I just presented the same ‘call to action’ message last week to the United States Washington Recreation and Parks Association. Get active now and change lives for the future.
Our summer recreation guide will be here in June. In the meantime, we have preschool Gymboree drop-in at the Adidas Sportsplex on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings. Teens can participate in our free Friday night Youth Etc. gym time at KVR Middle School from 7-9 p.m. hosted by the “sparkling” leaders from the Boys and Girls Club.
Get out and do something active on Move For Health Day on May 10. We are offering a special free Gymboree from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., sponsored by the B.C. Parks and Recreation Association, with preschool games, face painting and even a castle bouncer courtesy of Part-T-Perfect. It’s a perfect session for children 10 months to four years and their parents.
The good example begins with parents getting active everyday. After all, the TV and computer screens will still be there but your children’s youth, health and enthusiasm can pass you by before you know it.
Also on May 10, as a finale to Move for Health Day, Edis Computers, our Penticton Steps Out web login hosts, will be awarding a lucky “Stepper” a $1,000 travel gift certificate. Charlene and Trevor stepped up to keep Penticton Steps Out going during our Recreation Centre shutdown, creating a virtual walk of the Hawaiian Islands. The contest is for Penticton’s PSO participants and our ‘step sisters’ around the province and abroad. Every 100,000 steps logged in automatically enters you into the draw — so get out and walk. Good luck everyone and thanks to Edis Computers for your support of active living in Penticton.
Bob Pope gets active by “chasing his tail”, pulling weeds in his garden and sometimes stops to smell the roses too.