Empowering Healthy Kids Blog

This is an interesting programme for kids in Suffolk Country, UK. The Suffolk Challenge aims to get Suffolk kids to be the healthiest in the nation by 2012, by having them register for the Activity Challenge.

More kids info available here too.

Get Movin’, a YMCA initiative, starts today:

Get Movin’ is a free summer program aimed at motivating families to Get Movin’ and improve their health by adopting a more active, healthy lifestyle through physical and recreational activities. 

Their also includes 20 Ways to Get Movin’:

1. Go for a walk

2. Do sit-ups in front of the television

3. Join an athletic team

4. Work in the yard

5. Ride your bike

6. Wash the car(s)

7. Exercise with friends

8. Go swimming

9. Go for a run on the beach

10. Play Frisbee at the park

11. Go to the beach and fly a kite

12. Jump rope

13. Play at the playground

14. Shoot hoops

15. Play tag

16. Play catch

17. Go for a hike

18. Lift weights

19. Play soccer

20. Walk or jog at a track

I had the distinct pleasure of giving a talk to 100 or so kids about inventors and inventing. I had been trialling Zippeddy at this school and by luck, for this term, they were learning about inventions through the ages. I told them how I came up with the idea of Zippeddy and the process of creating such a product (along with the trials and tribulations). My observations:

• Kids are easily impressed with the smallest things (just a PCB circuit board with a few lights excites them) and like the fact that something made made “just for them” and looks cool.
• A sizable portion (about 30%) opened up electronic gadgets to see what was in them. I told to keep doing that
• One smart kid said”Are you going to make this in China, cos of the labour?” - I replied with the truth that the parts would be made in China but assembled here in Melbourne.
• Many (including the teachers) wanted to know how you come up with the idea. I replied by saying I wanted to make kids be physically active and I had the skills and knowledge in engineering to do this - thus the concept of a web enabled kids pedometer was born.
• One student asked how do I promote my product? I thought that this kid, not only understands inventing, but business as well.
• Many asked when it will be in shops. I replied that we are trying to get it into schools first, then into shops later.

Afterwards I stuck around and many more kids asked more questions. Some even pitched their ideas to me. Overall, I was impressed with their inquisitiveness and desire to create new things.

Today is Walk to School Day!

I like this:

Play is serious business for KaBOOM!, a national non-profit aimed at locating and funding play spaces. The organization has launched a campaign to locate 100,000 play spaces — playgrounds, skate parks and field complexes — in 100 days in an effort to ensure there is a play space within walking distance of every child.

Through its online play space locator, KaBOOM! is asking parents, teachers and community leaders to enter and rate their local play spaces. For every play space entered, $1 will be donated to charity in the name of country music singer and two-time Dancing With the Stars winner Julianne Hough. The result will help parents locate the best play spaces in their area and provide an honest analysis to community leaders of whether they have enough quality play spaces, says CEO Darell Hammond.

Check your local YMCA for scheduled events and activities:

Put play in your day and enjoy some fun and relaxing active family time by visiting your local Y on April 18 for YMCA Healthy Kids® Day.  The nation’s largest health day for children and families, YMCA Healthy Kids Day offers fun, engaging and creative activities for children and families and promotes year-long wellness and healthier living.  YMCA Healthy Kids Day events are free and open to all.

A new programme by “got milk?” Body By Milk(R) Campaign and NBA FIT, the NBA’s comprehensive health and wellness initiative that promotes healthy lifestyles for children, teens and adults through fitness and nutrition:

Teens can join the Get Fit By Finals Challenge at bodybymilk.com. Whether they’re star athletes or just wanting to improve their fitness level, the program has something for teens of all ability levels and interests to help them achieve their personal goals. To help motivate teens to get involved, Challenge participants will be eligible to win a variety of prizes, including sports equipment and a VIP experience at the 2009 NBA Finals. Participating schools also have a chance to win a gym makeover by showing how they rally their students to get fit.

Exclusive Get Fit Tips and Tools

• Exclusive NBA Training Videos: Teens can watch exclusive videos each week at bodybymilk.com to get the inside scoop on how the pros stay fit and healthy. Featuring some of the best players from the NBA and WNBA, as well as NBA trainers and sports dietitians, each video covers different fitness or nutrition topics to help guide teens on the road to fitness, NBA-style.
• Get Fit “Daily Drills”: Teens can receive daily video tips from NBA pros suggesting simple behavior modifications they can make each day to help them Get Fit. Teens can get their Daily Drills online or they can opt to receive them via e-mail - whatever suits them best!
• Online Personal Fitness Tracker: To help them stay on track with their fitness routine, teens will receive a free Personal Fitness Tracker when they sign up for the Get Fit By Finals Challenge. This exclusive online tool helps them log their minutes of daily exercise and milk consumption, journal their progress towards reaching their personal goal, and assign a “Get Fit Champion” to follow along and provide motivation. Some studies suggest journaling can be an effective way of reaching personal fitness and health goals.
• Get Fit “To Go”: Teens won’t have to go far to get expert fitness tips and exclusive NBA content. The Get Fit “widget” is a one-stop shop for program information, serving up weekly videos, Daily Drills and a link to their Personal Fitness Tracker - all from the convenience of their own social network page or desktop. Teens can grab the widget at bodybymilk.com - then they’re good to go!

Get Fit Rewards

Getting fit can be a rewarding experience - especially with the support of Milk and the NBA. When teens join the Get Fit By Finals Challenge, they’ll receive a special Get Fit rewards package featuring discounts on fitness gear. Frequent “mini-challenges” will encourage teens to show how they’re getting fit for the chance to bag some sweet rewards, and teens who show how they’re getting fit using their Personal Fitness Tracker will be eligible to win trips to the NBA Playoffs and a grand prize of an all-expenses-paid VIP experience at the 2009 NBA Finals. Plus, there are cool sweepstakes prizes for all teens, whether or not they join the Challenge.

Get the Body You Want

Being active and eating right is key to getting fit and maintaining a healthy weight - and it’s important to think about what you drink. Regular exercise and a healthy diet that includes drinking lowfat or fat free milk is not only a healthier choice; it can also help teens look and feel their best.

In fact, studies suggest that teens who drink milk instead of sugary drinks tend to be leaner than teens who don’t.

Get Fit By Finals encourages teens to drink 3 glasses of lowfat or fat free milk a day to help get the nine essential nutrients active bodies need, including calcium, protein, vitamin D and potassium. It’s a simple behavior change that can add up to make a big difference. Choosing lowfat or fat free milk over nutrient void beverages is one easy way teens can cut out empty calories and in their place, get important nutrients to help them look and feel healthy.

I will be running in the 14.7km Run For The Kids event on April 5, 2009 for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

Please join in! Or feel free to donate to Team Zippeddy at  http://www.everydayhero.com.au/zippeddy

Be Active Day! On January 17th 12pm-4pm at the Blue Ridge Mall in Hendersonville:

Be Active Day is the kick-off event for the Childhood Obesity Prevention Demonstration Project. Henderson County was one of five counties selected statewide to implement a comprehensive program to address childhood obesity.

The grant’s Eat Smart Move More campaign will increase awareness about the need to move more every day, reduce TV time, prepare more meals at home, consider portion sizes and beverage choices, and eat more fruits and vegetable. For tips on physical activity and healthy eating, visit

National Start! Walking Day On April 16:

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the U.S. And physical inactivity doubles the risk. Start! walking and start reducing your risk. You can support the fight against heart disease by participating in National Start! Walking Day, Wednesday, April 16