Health & Fitness for Youth & Teens During a Pandemic
Have Our Youth Been Overlooked?
The world has faced incredibly challenging times over the past year and a half with COVID-19. Provinces in Canada have gone in and out of lockdowns in order to ensure social distancing, as well as the safety and health of its population. In Ontario, schools closed and have gone online for months at a time, and when children were allowed at schools there were strict rules. Schools were not the only thing to close; many outdoor and indoor recreational activities were included in this list. Although these precautions were implemented for the safety of the whole population, it also causes many to question if the measures are causing more harm than good for today’s youth.
Rising Obesity Rates Among Youth
Let’s take a step back and put everything into perspective before going any further. Studies have shown that during the summer months, youth obesity rates increase by 0.85% each month. During school months, there is a stable or decreasing trend found in obesity rates for school-aged children. With schools being closed and students online for 7 or more months since the COVID-19 pandemic started, this data makes many health professionals speculate that there will be dramatic increases in youth obesity rates.
Pandemic closures not only take away the easily accessible areas for physical activity but also cause social isolation for youth. Due to the increased stress from isolation from peers, children may turn to unhealthy eating patterns, through increased eating or eating unhealthy calorie-rich, nutrient poor foods. Another impact of isolation is the elimination of social eating practices which causes a reduction in mindful eating, and becomes a negative influence on dietary choices while promoting overeating. This is due to the fact that peers will not see what food each individual is eating, as well as lowered conversation during eating time.
With all this being said, how can you as a parent or youth curve the effects the pandemic has caused? How can you ensure healthy eating habits, and exercise during and post lockdowns?
Healthy Eating Tips for Teens
1) Pre-make and pack a lunch for your children. I know it may be easy to just cook the meal at lunch time, and have them grab their own snacks at break, but this will ensure the healthiest choices are being made.
2) Do not let your kids eat in front of the television, iPad or phone, this type of distracted eating can lead to eating past being full.
3) Whenever possible, eat with your children and converse with them about their day. This will ensure a more natural eating pattern, that is similar to school time.
4) Do NOT make your kids finish their plates. If they tell you, they are full, then allow them to stop eating, but this does not mean they get dessert!
Exercise Tips for Teens
1) Make sure both you and your child are hitting the recommended
physical activity guidelines.
Toddlers
(1-2 years) at least 180 minutes of physical activity
Preschoolers
(3-4 years) at least 180 minutes of physical activity, with 60 minutes of “energetic play”
Children and Youth
(5-17 years) at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, and several hours of structured or unstructured light physical activities, as well as muscle and bone strengthening exercises at least 3 days per week
Adults
(18-64) should be active each day and minimize sedentary behaviours by getting 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity per week, muscle strengthening twice per week, and several hours of physical activity.
2) Small changes make big differences; try to encourage going for morning or lunch break walks. If your child is competitive with you or their siblings, get some step counting watches and create fun challenges to see who can get the most steps within a day/week/month.
3) Find a physical activity that the youth enjoy. It is not fun for you as the parent, or the child to be constantly nagged about doing physical activity.
4) If financially feasible, get the youth a personal trainer. This personal trainer will not only help the youth become more comfortable, and confident in their movement abilities, but will encourage and help uplift self-esteem within the youth! It can be a very daunting moment joining a gym or trying to work out for the first time, and not knowing what to do or how to do movements correctly. This is where the personal trainer can help, while also teaching correct technique to ensure no injuries form, as well as cater to the youth’s needs in order to not “scare them away from exercise”.
