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II. Get Moving

Do you spend more time inside the house watching television or playing computer games than you spend playing? Do you know how much exercise benefits your health?

Exercise is not only fun, it is also good for your body, mind and overall well-being. Kids who exercise on a regular basis often do better in school, sleep better, don’t feel as tired, are less likely to get hurt while exercising, and are stronger than less active children. Exercise also relieves stress and promotes good behavior.

There are two types of exercise, aerobic and anaerobic. When you do an aerobic exercise, such as walking, running, swimming, skating, dancing, jumping rope, or bicycling, you increase your heart rate and the flow of oxygen rich blood to the muscles. This helps you burn fats and calories. When you do anaerobic exercise, such as weight lifting or push ups, you build strength and muscle mass.

       YOU NEED TO BE ACTIVE BECAUSE:

·        Exercise helps you reach and maintain (keep) a healthy weight.

·        Exercise can strengthen your bones now as well as later in life.

·        Children who enjoy exercise may develop a lifelong, healthy habit of being physically active. If they stay active as adults, they will enjoy better health and may live longer than their much less active peers.

·        When you exercise, your heart beats faster and pumps more blood to your muscles, then more oxygen reaches your muscles and helps them work. The right kinds of exercise can also help your heart muscles get stronger. A stronger heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood.

 So, how much should I exercise?

30 minutes or more of physical activity are recommended most days of the week.

 What shall I do?

You do not have to be good at sports to be healthy. You also do not have to do exercises that you think are boring.

 … GET MOVING …