December 13th, 2011 admin
It’s hard to believe that 2011 is coming to an end already. Where has this year gone? As it comes to an end it’s time for us to reflect on everything that has transpired throughout the year!
Let’s take a look at trends that have come and gone regarding Childhood obesity in 2011.
What’s IN!!!
Educating Kids on healthy eating |
What’s OUT???
Letting Kids Eat Junk Food |
| Exciting PE classes that use social media and a
Variety of programs from Zumba to YOGA |
Boring Health & PE Classes
that don’t engage students |
| Video games that make you move like the
Wii & EA Sports |
Video games played on the couch |
| Community Involvement with kids focused on
campaigns such as Let’s Move & MECKids
You Gotta MOVE Events |
Schools go it alone to fight
childhood obesity |
| The Food Plate |
My Pyramid |
What do you think? Drop us a line and share your ideas on getting kids fit in the New Year!
Posted in Education, Events, Fitness, Health, meckids, Obesity, Schools, Sports, Teachers, Training, Uncategorized, Yoga | No Comments »
November 22nd, 2011 admin
Only 5 1/2 weeks left in 2011! Can you believe how fast this year is going?
The holiday season is already upon us and with that usually comes an extra few pounds. But it doesn’t have to be that way! There are a few small changes that you can make that will help you not gain weight during the holidays!
1. AMP up your workouts during this time of year. If you are short on time, try a tabata workout! It’s an intense 4 min workout. Everybody has 4 minutes!
2. Keep track of what you are eating. Knowing that you have to write down everything that you eat will probably make you think twice before eating it.
3. Drink TONS of water! Staying hydrated will not only help you feel fuller it will boost your energy throughout the day.
4. Fill your plate with vegetables FIRST! This will leave you only a little room for all the high carb deliciousness and desserts!
5. Last but not least, ALLOW yourself to indulge a little! If you don’t you’ll probably overindulge.
This time of the year is supposed to be about family not food. So enjoy this beautiful holiday season with your family!
Posted in Fitness, Food, Health, meckids, Obesity, Strength Conditioning, Training | No Comments »
August 23rd, 2011 admin
How many of you grew up playing some type of organized sports? Some of the best memories that I have from my childhood are from playing on some type of team. Whether it was playing kickball during recess or playing volleyball during the summer, I always loved the feeling of being on a team. Team sports are some of the best ways to encourage your kids to get out there and get healthy. There are so many benefits that can come from your kids being part of the team both physically and emotionally.
If you encourage your kids to play some type of sports, they are going to be far more likely to stay active as they get older. They will be exercising and most likely won’t even realize it because of all the fun they will be having. Sign them up for a team and help them get on the right track to being a healthy adult!
By being part of a team your kids will also build a camaraderie with kids their own age. It is important that your kids get the opportunity to build friendships with kids so they know how to interact with others. Being on a team shows your kids how to rely on each other so that they can accomplish anything if they just work together.
Kids that are on a team also learn how to build confidence. Teamwork gives kids the chance to try things that they would not otherwise try on their own. They feel that they can accomplish so much when they know that they have others doing it with them.
If your kids are not already on a team, I would highly recommend that you get them involved in one somehow. Help your kids become healthy adults by encouraging them to start healthy habits while they are young. Being a part of a team makes everything better!
Posted in Fitness, Health, meckids, Obesity, Schools, Sports, Teachers, Training | No Comments »
April 7th, 2011 admin
Cyber bullies, teen fights, anger, depression, these are just some of the issues students face day to day due to all sorts of pressures at home and at school. How can teens learn to remain calm, control their anger and reduce stress?
YOGA & Pilates! Both of these exercise genres have added benefits in helping students keep calm under pressure. Learning to use controlled breathing exercises can in turn reduce the fight or flight enzyme “cortisol” that is excreted into the blood stream anytime a person faces a fearful or life threatening situation.
In addition to the calming, relaxing, therapeutic benefits of pilates and yoga, students also derive increased strength and cardiovascular health. So how and where can you try either out these program to see if they can work for you? Join MECKids and the YOKid Team for the YOKid Spring Fitness Challenge at Cora Kelly Recreation Center in Alexandria, Virginia. To learn more visit our events page at http://www.meckids.com/pages/community.php
To your health,
Coach Nik
Posted in Community Activities, Events, Fitness, Health, Pilates, Sports, Training, Uncategorized, Yoga | No Comments »
April 5th, 2011 admin
What’s the best way for a kid to stay fit, focused and in balance? Yoga, pilates, conditioning exercises all offer something different that kids of all ages can benefit from and use. By simply using many of the stretches and poses found in a basic yoga session, students can learn to improve their breathing and concentration. Both of which can assist students in managing stress and staying calm in stressful situations.
Pilates offers excellent balance, stretching and strengthening techniques that can assist students who may be prone to injury or participate in sports such as cheerleading, football, basketball and lacrosse.
Although strength conditioning may have many benefits cautioned should be exercised in the amount of weight used, repetitions and frequency of weight training particularly for adolescents. Strength training can be quite useful for student athletes in improving power and performance but should be provided under the supervision of a certified fitness or athletic trainer.
MECKids provides lots of lesson plans and techniques for health, fitness and sports training. If you are not yet a MECKids member contact us today and find how to join, contact@meckids.com or visit our Get Started page at http://www.meckids.com/pages/getstarted.php
See you in the Gym!
Coach Fran
Posted in Community Activities, Crosstraining, Fitness, Health, meckids, Pilates, Sports, Strength Conditioning, Training, Yoga | No Comments »
