Get Active
The First Lady’s Fall 2010 Kitchen Garden Harvest
The rain stopped and the sun came out just in time for the First Lady’s Fall 2010 Kitchen Garden Harvest. Joined by more than 25 students from Washington, DC’s Bancroft and Tubman Elementary Schools, the First Lady and several world-renowned chefs spent the afternoon in the White House garden digging up sweet potatoes, clipping herbs, picking tomatoes, and admiring the pumpkins before sitting down to enjoy a fresh salad from the garden.
Moving Outside in a Great Urban Park
Many of us tend to think of our national parks as remote destinations – spectacular sites that require families to travel great lengths to enjoy. While some parks do meet this description (the main entrance to the Grand Canyon is 80 miles away from the nearest major airport!), there are many great national parks located near or in our major urban centers.
Go Girl Go!
One of the highlights of my year is attending the Women’s Sports Foundation’s (WSF) Annual Salute to Women in Sports. It is so inspiring to have over 60 Olympic and professional athletes gathered in one room. Michelle Kwan (figure skating) and Allyson Felix (track & field), fellow members of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, were there. Laila Ali (boxing), Gretchen Bleiler (snowboarding), Alana Nichols (Paralympic skiing and basketball), Jessica Mendoza (softball) and so many more.
Building Healthier Communities
When we think about childhood obesity, most of us think of kids playing video games or eating sugary, unhealthy food. Less obvious — but not less important — is the impact a child’s neighborhood has on his or her health – and whether it offers them the opportunities they need to walk, run, and play. Indeed, children in neighborhoods that lack sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, and community centers have up to 45 percent higher odds of becoming obese or overweight.
Moving Outside in Mississippi!
Families in Natchez, Mississippi know how to get moving outside, and make the most of the special places in their community. The Mississippi River Connections Collaboration, which includes the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service, recently hosted “Let’s Move Outside Southwest Mississippi,” a daylong celebration of healthy, outdoor recreation. Hundreds of people from Adams and surrounding counties came to Natchez – a city of roughly 20,000 people along the Mississippi River – to participate in multiple activities and explore the area’s famous historical sites.
Nature Champions Reach out to America’s Children
I recently attended a workshop held by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) to educate pediatric health care providers about prescribing outdoor activities to children and families as part of their Children and Nature Initiative. As a pediatrician working in Washington, DC, I see many patients that face chronic illness as a direct consequence of childhood obesity. Many of today’s children have become creatures of the indoors, spending countless hours in front of TV and computer screens, to the detriment of their physical and mental health.
Soccer on the South Lawn
Getting 60 minutes of play every day is important and yesterday students from several Washington, DC elementary schools got their 60 minutes on the south lawn at the White House. As part of the ongoing South Lawn Series, players from the DC United soccer team led the kids in drills and games, showing them just how fun exercise can be. The students ran, jumped, kick soccer balls and ended the day with apples as a healthy snack.
Vacant Lot? Build Playground!
With all of the focus on promoting physical activity sometimes we forget that children don't always have a place to go. Throughout inner cities and other urban areas some children don't have access to playgrounds or other places to recreate.
Walking to School Gets Kids Out of the Car and onto Their Feet
Yesterday I joined a wonderful group of elementary school students, principals and school staff at Lincoln Park in Washington, DC to celebrate “International Walk to School Day”. Now in its 13th year, this one-day event was part of a global effort in more than 40 countries to recognize the many benefits of walking and bicycling to school and to encourage more families to get out of the car and onto their feet in October.
Success Story: Adaptive Sports Programs Encourage Physical Activity for All
Getting our daily recommended physical activity (60 minutes/day for youth, 30 minutes/day for adults) is important – it’s important whether we live in the city, in the suburbs, or in a rural setting. It’s important whether we run fast or slow, whether we’re big, tall, short or small. And it’s important if we are able bodied or if we have a disability.
