Last week we discussed how children can enjoy baseball, basketball, bicycling, and football.  But we have three more for you this week!  Let us begin.

• Gymnastics-Keeping it safe doesn’t require too much.  Proper mats and padding are great, and having wrist guards and braces are good depending on how much stress is going to be placed on them.
• In-Line Skating-Our little ones might not be doing too much of this at an early age, but it’s nice to stay educated! Wearing a helmet, the elbow and knee pads, and gloves are going to be essential.
• Soccer-Our favorite!  Staying well protected during this sport is going to be crucial. Shin guards are wonderful.  Try not to encourage headbutting until they get older.

And there you have it!  The path to safe play during activities has been created.  Now all you need are the means in which to set your children on the path! Get them moving with the best baby DVD.  Pick up one of our great Baby Goes Pro DVDs today.

Our Baby Goes Pro products aren’t just DVDs, they are a window into the future of sports and physical activity. Here are some different ways parents appreciate their Baby Goes Pro DVDs!

• The songs are catchy, and even parents say they enjoy dancing with the kids when Emkei is playing with basketballs and baseballs!
• Sports are introduced in a technically correct way, where they are presented in a fun manner, but still in a manner in which children can properly embrace appropriate techniques.
• Being able to have a video that shows Emkei as well as professional athletes keeps kids interested and engaged!

We hear great things about what people are doing with our DVDs everyday! If you’d like to see it for yourself, grab one for your baby today!  Contact us today at 877-776-6001.

Many of you parents may be wondering – “how do I get my child off the couch?” It may help to start with yourself. Children look to their parents as role models whom they should mirror their own lives after.

Even at an early age, children are like little sponges. They absorb everything parents tell them or show them. If we as parents show our children good habits – eating right, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep – they will carry these good habits with them for the rest of their lives.

Therefore, as parents we must realize that we play a significant role in the health of our children and we should promote exercise as a family activity. Instead of driving short distances, why not take walks with our children? When it is nice outside, why not play a game of basketball, toss around a football, or play Frisbee with our children. Making exercise a family goal will ensure that children are receiving the necessary physical activity.

SO, I encourage you as parents to make staying active a priority – not just for your children, but for yourself too!

There are a number of ways that children can get the exercise they need. Wondering how much physical activity is enough? Consider these Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans from the Department of Health and Human Services:

Kids. Children and adolescents age 6 and older need at least an hour a day of physical activity. Most of the hour should be either moderate or vigorous aerobic activity. In addition, children should participate in muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week. Many classic activities – such as playing on playground equipment and jumping rope – cover all the bases at once.

Adults. Most healthy adults need at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking or swimming, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running – preferably spread throughout the week. Adults also need strength training exercises at least twice a week.

For more tips on staying active and living a healthy lifestyle with your children, check out our Baby Goes Pro DVDs!

A recent article that was published by the British Health Department basically summed up one thing: Babies should exercise everyday. Now this might not be what you’re immediately thinking.  No bench pressing or triathlons.  No laps in an Olympic-size pool or rigorous Zumba classes.  It can be something as simple as scooting on the rug or attempting to reach for a toy.   The encouragement simply lies behind the fact that babies should be active in their infant stages.  Have them crawl around, grab objects, shake them around, anything.  This is becoming more and more important because experts are starting to realize how early obesity actually starts in people.

And the earlier the better.  The study makes a provoking point: “Once a child is obese, it’s much harder to make exercise enjoyable.”  The study says that 20% of children between two and five are already overweight. By 2050, this number could be 63%, according to experts.  There was also a big emphasis on taking your kids swimming and becoming acclimated with sports.

EMKEI, Baby Goes Pro’s beloved mascot, is always moving! Our DVD’s support anything that gives kids a chance to combat the premature onset of obesity.  Baby Goes Pro DVDs are a great way for babies and toddlers to enjoy the benefits of physical activity early on!

We came across this articles on KidsHealth.org & we wanted to share it with you. This is a great article on how you can encourage your children to play outdoors. You can create a healthy mix of having your children interact with DVD’s such as Baby Goes Pro while also encouraging your children to go outside and enjoy nature – no matter what type of nature deficits your community might have.

Link to article: http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/issues_2011/2011_nature.html

Fighting Nature Deficit Disorder

With options for indoor recreation multiplying and becoming ever more sophisticated, parents are all too aware of how much time their kids spend parked on the couch watching TV or glued to a computer/cell phone/gaming system.

Mix these digital delights with parental fear of “stranger danger” (which often is unrealistic), and you get kids spending less and less time enjoying the great outdoors, a trend author Richard Louv dubbed “nature deficit disorder” in his influential book “Last Child in the Woods.”

Louv says that in the last 30 years kids have become more plugged-in at the expense of connecting with the natural world. He argues that this could have consequences not only for physical fitness, but also for long-term mental and spiritual well-being, citing “increased feelings of stress, trouble paying attention, [and] feelings of not being rooted in the world.”

While that may be difficult to prove, many parents still would like to see their kids get outside more. But how? Urban families might have limited natural places to explore; suburban families might have to drive to area parks; and almost every family is pressed for free time.

What This Means to You

Besides spending more and more hours on media diversions (often, up to 7 hours a day), kids are also multitasking — leaving the TV on while surfing online and fielding text messages from friends. It’s up to parents to get them unplugged and outside.

Unless kids are naturally outdoorsy, convincing them to go out for some fresh air can be a struggle. So be creative. No park in your area? Even a small suburban backyard can be explored (what’s under those rocks?), made more nature-friendly with some bird feeders and a birdbath, or be the setting for a family camping night.

Have to drive to get to get to anything green? Give geocaching a try. This modern treasure hunt phenomenon uses GPS coordinates to direct seekers to spots urban, suburban, and rural for small stashes of fun stuff placed by other geocachers. Engage computer-loving kids by asking them to visit one of the many online geocaching resources to choose which treasures the family should search for.

Still getting resistance? The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) suggests baby steps — work toward a daily “green hour” of unstructured play and interaction with nature by starting with a 15-minute excursion into the backyard to, for instance, identify the birds you see there.

The NWF and many other organizations offer loads of ideas for outdoor play and exploration on their websites. Make it the mission of your computer-savvy kids to go online and find some activities they’d like to try.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: December 2010