Two brothers joined other students shooting basketballs in the elementary school gym while they waited for the evening’s activities to begin.
“I wish I could dunk it,” lamented the younger of the two boys just before he launched a ball in the air from the free throw line.
Basketball dunks could be in the student’s future if he follows the nutrition and fitness tips provided at the free Parent Connection workshop Feb. 11. During the “Fitness for Families” event, registered dietician Kirby Moir and certified trainer Eric Fretz of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios discussed healthy eating habits and led attendees in exercises everyone can do.
“A lot of times we’re just on autopilot when we eat,” Moir told participants. “We drive down the road and eat whatever is available. It’s important to have awareness of what we are eating.”
To help workshop attendees be mindful of what they eat and drink, Moir used the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) educational tool MyPlate to talk about the five food groups that are the building blocks for a healthy diet – fruits, grains, vegetables, protein and dairy.
“Balance is key,” stressed Moir.
She also noted that starches and complex carbohydrates provide important fuel and shouldn’t be avoided as some people try to do. “Think of your body as a car, this is your gasoline,” Moir said.
Drinking lots of water every day is also essential, Moir told families, as is reading food labels to check for lower amounts of saturated fat, sugar and sodium.
“Fruits and vegetables don’t have labels,” said Moir, noting that it’s because they are only good for you.
After discussing recommended portion sizes and daily allowances of the five food groups to ensure children and adults get the nutrients they need, Fretz joined the presentation to lead families in exercise.
“If you’re not burning it,” Fretz announced, “your body will store it in all those places you don’t want it to be stored.”
The trainer shared exercises to work all “those places” our bodies store extra calories, beginning with squats and lunges. Workshop participants wasted no time joining the fun.
“Exercise will make you feel better because it releases serotonin and other endorphins. You get to feel better naturally while having fun,” said Fretz.
He shared some fun activities to get the family moving that don’t involve a visit to the gym:
- Go for pre- or post-dinner walks.
- Crank up music and Boogie down.
- Turn TV commercials into fitness breaks.
- Team up for gardening.
- Make a game out of household chores.
Families can also have fun with fitness by creating a series of playing cards featuring family-friendly exercises, such as bear-crawling. Each person picks a card and performs the exercise, and it continues until all cards have been drawn and performed. Groups can also assign exercises to the four suits found in a deck of playing cards, draw cards one-by-one and exercise accordingly – 10 jumping jacks, six pushups, nine squats and so on.
Fretz set up a few gym mats to go through floor exercises such as planks, pushups, situps and scissor kicks.
“Even the Navy SEALs do these,” said Fritz of scissor kicks, “but they do them for about 30 minutes straight.”
While correcting participants’ form on some exercises, Fritz added, “You want to be safe, but you don’t have to do everything perfectly. As long as you’re moving, that’s what’s important.”
The children in particular were eager to keep moving, even after the event was ending.
“Can we take out the jump ropes?” a few pleaded while adults began to pack up the gym mats. “Can we get the basketballs again?” they asked before taking a few quick running laps around the gym.
Two active siblings paused by a poster hanging on the gym wall that reads: I am going to be strong today. I tried it yesterday and I think I’m hooked.
After the evening of family fun, there’s no doubt they are hooked on fitness.
Parent Connection offers free workshops throughout the year. To view a complete calendar of upcoming events, visit www.vbschools.com/ParentConnection/.