Easy Mile Fitness’ Post

Why give during the #GreatFuturesBreakfast ??? Because many kids like Sasha, have never been to a summer camp! Join us in person or simply give online: 🌐 https://lnkd.in/eSpsNXUH WHEN: Thursday, May 9, 7:30 a.m. WHERE: Boys & Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange Counties 1010 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway Durham, NC 27713 Fast Facts: • Ten percent of youth in Durham & Orange counties fail to graduate from high school on time. What We Provide: Power Hour homework assistance Project Learn hands-on learning activities Knowledge Builders one on one tutoring Our Impact: Among our teen-aged Club members, 99% expect to graduate from high school, and 80% expect to complete some kind of post-secondary education. • Thirty-one percent of young people ages 10-17 in Durham & Orange Counties are overweight or obese. What We Offer: Yoga; Kid’s Self Defense; Triple Play (physical education); Healthy Habits Our Impact: Eighty-Seven percent of Club members ages nine and older report getting at least an hour of physical activity on five or more days per week. • Twenty-one percent of high school youth in North Carolina were involved in a physical fight in the past year. What We Do: Smart Moves (comprehensive prevention program); Career Launch; Youth of the Year; Keystone Our Impact: Ninety percent of Club teen members volunteer in their community at least once per year, while 50% volunteer in their community at least once per month. City of Durham Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce Durham County Government Town of Chapel Hill, NC State of North Carolina

🌟 Empowering Children for Success: My Journey with Kids Body and Brain 🌟 Greetings LinkedIn community! I’m Selin, the proud founder of Kids Body and Brain educational programs, dedicated to unlocking the full potential of children starting at 10 months old. Allow me to share my story with you. As a former psychology student and basketball player at an American college, I’ve had the privilege of gaining valuable experiences in both child development and sports. Driven by a passion for sports and child development, I founded Kids Body and Brain with a mission to bring the spirit of enthusiasm for physical education to German children. But my vision extends beyond the field; it’s about instilling the essential trait of sportsmanship early on. But why sportsmanship? Because it’s more than just fair play on the field; it’s been known as a cornerstone of personal growth and success. My programs with KBB not only cultivate athletic skills but also nurture character traits like teamwork, resilience, and empathy. But here’s the twist: while sports are fantastic, I understand that not every child resonates with being on a field and chasing balls or teammates. That’s why Kids Body and Brain goes beyond traditional sports programs. Our educational play programs are designed to tap into each child’s unique strengths and interests, whether it’s through imaginative games, creative arts, or social interaction. My goal? To foster self-confidence, kindness, and leadership in every child, regardless of their athletic prowess. Because a well-rounded individual isn’t just defined by their performance on the field, but by their character and contribution to their surrounding. Currently back on a trip in the US, I’m thrilled to connect the best of both worlds. And I’m excited to bring new approaches to childhood development back home to Germany. Join Kids Body and Brain, where we aim to empower children to grow healthy, happy, and kind-hearted, setting the stage for a bright future. What are your experiences with sports in different countries? Have you noticed any advantages or disadvantages? I would love to hear all about it! #kids #body #brain #child #development #education

Where are those #smiles?? I wish I could advocate that the school kids enter the school premises with cheerful smiles during the morning hours. What I am sharing could be a part of my limited observation of school kids in the morning hours standing at their bus stops or entering the school gates but I couldn’t resist writing about it. Mid week crisis; is it?? Tests, assignments, projects, models, society competitions and a lot more. But isn’t the objective behind all this is the holistic development of the child? Would we call a child, who is under a constant urge to perform and prove as being in the best phase of development?? Being an academician, I fully support the activities and assessment criteria implemented by schools. However, I feel that there is an equal need to ensure that these kids are coming up to be happy minds, who beam with smiles. A childhood devoid of smiles is not something, which the society aims to create collectively. Of course, there are multiple other contributors like late night TV/phone usage leading to morning lethargy, imbalanced diets, late night study/work completion, returning home after a family event etc. Yet, the focus of raising a young league with energy boom cannot be sidelined in any way or due to any precursor. Our students are not just meant to smile for social media but more on a daily basis and what better than the starting of the day. P.S: Wishing every child to be mindfully happy and spread smiles as in the pic below. Can’t say if it’s for the frame or in real though! #skillbuilding #makingadifference #movingforwardtogether

“In the transformative landscape of the 1960s, with America charting new territories in space exploration, civil rights, and cultural movements, President John F. Kennedy sounded a clarion call, one that resonated with urgency: the need for physical fitness. Amid the nation's numerous quests, JFK's vision for a fitter, healthier America held a prominent place. The Sierra High School experiment in 1962 emerged as a robust testament to JFK's commitment. Here, students took up the challenge of 50-mile hikes endorsed by the president. Their endeavors weren't merely a display of youthful stamina but emblematic of broader American resilience and spirit. JFK's Call to Fitness was more than just a presidential directive; it was a passionate plea to the nation. Addressing America, he remarked, “We do not want in the United States a nation of spectators. We want a nation of participants in the vigorous life." Through this call, he emphasized the indispensable nature of physical fitness, not merely for individual health but as a cornerstone of national pride and strength. This call was further underpinned by his article titled "The Soft American" for Sports Illustrated in December 1960, wherein he voiced his concerns about America's diminishing physical fitness compared to its European counterparts. However, as years rolled on, the fervor surrounding JFK's fitness initiative dwindled. Parents and institutions, amidst shifting societal concerns, gradually relegated physical fitness to the background. This decline was not for lack of evidence on its benefits. Those who reaped the rewards of JFK's program spoke eloquently of its transformative effects – from managing stress, overcoming both physical and mental fatigue, to instilling a resilience that transcended the gym. Today, with schools confronting a myriad of challenges, including rising mental health concerns and declining physical activity, JFK's message is more relevant than ever. The gift of health, so passionately advocated by him over five decades ago, awaits our renewed commitment. For those equipped with resources – be it time, money, or influence – now is the moment to refocus on this imperative mission. It is about rekindling our collective responsibility and heeding JFK's call to action. Advocates and beneficiaries of JFK's initiative assert that we've yet to fulfill his challenge in its entirety. To honor his legacy and vision, we must rise, reignite the discussion, and ensure his mission reaches fruition. It's time to not only reminisce but to act, to pass on this invaluable gift to future generations, completing JFK's vision for America.” #jfkchallenge #jfk #physicalfitness #physicalhealth #wellness #fitness #sports #america #mentalhealth https://lnkd.in/gaMFf3z2

Active kids reap a lifetime of benefits. But, youth sports participation and school-based Phys Ed are on the decline. • 1.2M less youth played team sports in 2019 vs. 2022. • Only 4% of elementary schools, 7% of middle schools, and 2% of high schools require daily PE throughout the year. And it's proving costly. If 63% of kids played sports regularly, we would have 2.3M fewer overweight and obese youth by 2030, saving $57B in direct medical costs and productivity. Beyond physical health, better PE could improve academic outcomes. When kids lack a healthy mix of movement, sleep, and time offline, they’re more likely to fail classes. And kids who participate in sports see improvements in mental health, emotional control, and social well-being. Getting kids moving now sets them up to succeed — with the positive benefits compounding for life.

So much in the news about the reasons kids don’t ride to school at the moment. Riding a bike, being active, just getting out there, is so much more than the school run! Yes, school is a fantastic environment for promoting and enthusing, of course it is but, focusing on just riding to school is a missed opportunity. As the guru Philip Darnton has said, “if kids haven’t learnt by 9 or 10, they never will “. Not entirely true but it is another unneeded barrier! And it’s those barriers that we have to remove, the “I would cycle but….” barriers. At Cycle Derby we believe in focusing on promoting Learning to Ride as early as possible. Really enthusing parents to teach their own children and once learnt, encourage them to spend time together doing active things as a family. In schools, we can support through regular, quality interventions that again promote skills and confidence and the love of being active. We then advise and signpost to clubs and community activities as well as continuing to encourage family engagement. We recognise and welcome the value of working with professional partners that can target key areas of Behaviour Change, working holistically together to insure every barrier is quoshed. By changing the way we look at how we “live” actively, embedding the benefits into every day life, we believe we can make a real difference. Finally of course, we need to work with the politicians, developers and engineers to ensure that going forward, only quality infrastructure that focuses on the hierarchy of needs, is acceptable. Once all that’s done, we’ll get more kids riding to school ❤️🚴♀️🚶♂️🦽🚶♂️🚴♂️❤️

I had an insightful meeting with Professor Lauren Sherar at Loughborough University last week. This week, I hope to reach one or two more key stakeholders at a symposium on the Healthy Britain report by MP Kim Leadbeater in London. My position on children's fitness, health & wellbeing is reinforced daily in so many schools. It was reinforced in six more PE classes today. 'If we were to focus more on children’s actual fitness & physical progression in schools, we might just build a much fitter nation.'   I agree with the position of many in relation to creating active schools & communities, & how we can improve fitness, health & wellbeing with a holistic approach – by supporting areas such as active travel, more physically active learning, a longer school day to enable more physical activity time/opportunities, holiday programs that will reach more children, etc. These broader brushstrokes still may not impact every child.   From a PE lesson perspective for children aged 7-11, I can think of no more relevant & meaningful content than to develop fitness, physical literacy and resilience more often, as one part of the overall PE offering. We need to be brutally honest with the physical fitness & physical competence of children in primary schools today. Many children will not play sport throughout their adult lives, but they will want to remain in good physical health. Gymrun provides every child with the knowledge & understanding of how to stay physically healthy – at a crucial age in terms of forming physical self-perceptions. It builds basic fitness & physical competence in preparation for a more advanced PE program in the secondary years.    Would as many children tune out of physical activity if their efficay in relation to their performing bodies & how they respond to self-regulated physical exertion & challenge - was better supported & enlightened? #physical #fitness #health #wellbeing #physicaliteracy #everychild

Is it back to school month already? It sure is! Here are some tips you can follow to start your kids off on the right foot: https://bit.ly/42JszVC #education #familyandrelationships

🏫 Some practical ideas for getting you children ready to head back to school. Get your children prepared for going back to school with these hints and tips; 💤 Adjust their sleep routine one week before going back. The summer holidays often mean getting up late and staying up later than usual and the light nights don't help either! Try to get back to normal sleeping patterns one week before the start of the new school term. This means that by the time school starts, they'll already be used to getting up early, it won't be such a shock to the system. ✏️ Stock up on new school supplies. Who doesn't love a new uniform and stationary! Start to look for what you need to replace early. Often people leave school shopping to the last minute which can lead to a stressful shopping trip! ✅ Get you kids to set themselves a goal, and choose a reward, for the year ahead. Set some targets, these can be academic goals, social goals or anything in between. Why not get your kids to write down what grades they would like to achieve in each subject, make sure they are realistic so not to set themselves up for failure or sell themselves short. By writing them down there is a physical record of their goals and they are more likely to achieve them. Set milestones on the way to these goals and reward your kids for reaching these targets. It could be going for a pizza or a new game, recognising the achievement is the important part. ⏰ Get their Timetable Organised. Do they find that they’re are always asking friends what class is next and where they need to be? Take some time the week before going back to get their timetable sorted. Check how the school will notify you of the new timetable, it may be by checking their school account online. Make sure they have theirs ready to start the new term. Why not try new activities. ⚽️💃🏉🎼🎸🏏🎬🤸🏑🎾🏕️ There is so much more to school than just the studying, there are opportunities to learn new skills or improve on the ones your children already have. They may also mix with other children not in their class while attending extra activities. Your school may offer lots of activities that you never even knew about. Look out for school clubs, sports or committees. There are often opportunities to get involved outside of school. How about trying that dance class that they’ve always fancied, or joining that Sunday league football team that their friends are a part of? How do you plan to prepare for going back to school after the summer? What things do you normally organise first? What are your goals for this year?

Check out some of our tips for transitioning to a new home while the kids are still attending school.