American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month. This month is used to raise awareness about heart disease and how you can prevent it.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Heart disease can affect anyone at any age! Most people develop heart disease as a result of poor lifestyle habits, such as eating unhealthy foods, not getting enough exercise, or using tobacco. Practicing healthy habits at an early age can help prevent the development of heart disease when you are young and later in life.

To live a long and healthy life, it’s important to do the things that make you less likely to develop diseases and to know how to get better if you get sick. Keeping your heart healthy is one of the most important ways to make sure you are feeling your very best. If you start doing small things every day that keep your body healthy, you have a better chance of living a longer, happier, and healthier life.

Making small changes in your life can add up to a big difference in your cardiovascular health. You can take steps today to lower your risk of heart disease.

Have you taken care of your heart today?

Did you make healthy food choices?

Eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. They taste great and are great for you.

Were you active for 60 minutes?

Try for 60 minutes every day. A bike ride with friends or walks with your family are great ways to get started. Exercise plans get rained out? Turn up the radio and start dancing. Exercise every day and make it fun.

Did you get plenty of sleep?

Kids between 5 and 12 years old need 10 to 11 hours each night.

Did you stay far away from cigarettes and tobacco products?

According to the American Heart Association, smoking cigarettes or using tobacco products are some of the worst things you can do to your body. Just smoking a few cigarettes or using tobacco products a couple of times might make you addicted, and it can be very hard to quit. Using any tobacco product can cause heart disease and cancer. Using smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking!   

"Intelligence and skill can only function at the peak of their capacity when the body is healthy and strong."
-John F. Kennedy

Traverse Rock Climbing Wall

I would like to tell you about the newest addition to our physical education program. The Sibley PTO purchased a traverse climbing wall for all of our students to use in physical education class. The climbing wall is eight feet high and is forty feet long. Students climb horizontally (traverse) across the wall and their feet should never be higher than three feet off the ground.

Indoor rock climbing is one of the fastest growing activities today. It develops coordination, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Additionally, important life skills of problem solving, goal setting, and perseverance will be learned.

This is an exciting educational opportunity for the students at Sibley. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. 

How can you help?

I need your help to promote physical activity and fitness for your child. If parents value physical activity and encourage their children to be active regularly, children are more likely to view physical activity as an important part of their daily lives. These tips may help you encourage your child to be active:

• Provide a safe play area for your child to play and opportunities to be active.
• Provide equipment and supplies that allow your child to be active.
• Put limits on television time and video game usage (especially right after school).
• Participate in physical activity with your child.
• Help your child develop good physical skills so that he or she can feel competent.

Welcome!

Welcome to Gym Shorts! This blog will provide updates on physical education activities and discuss current issues in the area of health and physical fitness. Please look around and feel free to make comments about the blog. I look forward to hearing from you.