ActivEd Blog

Students at Weddington Middle School in Matthews, NC are starting off some school days with yoga. According to the article, "It’s called 'Moga,' or middle school yoga. Students practice breathing, relaxation, even meditation."

In January 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report with alarming findings. Worldwide, at least 41 million children are obese. This is an increase of more than 10 million children since 1990. From the Reuters article:

"Overweight and obesity impact on a child's quality of life, as they face a wide range of barriers, including physical, psychological and health consequences," Sania Nishtar, Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO) co-chair, said in a statement.

"We know that obesity can impact on educational attainment too and this, combined with the likelihood that they will remain obese into adulthood, poses major health and economic consequences for them, their families and society as a whole."

Why the increase? Unhealthy food and drink choices are the primary culprits. The WHO recommends governments promote healthier food choices in addition to physical activity and healthy school environments. Looking for a place to start? Introduce Walkabouts into your school. Get kids moving and learning to model healthy lifestyles! Request more information on Walkabouts for your classrooms. 

Time recently published an article on kids and their cholesterol levels. The article covers a report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The report states that 7.4% of kids have high total cholesterol leaving them at risk for heart disease. 

From the article:

“Hypertension is an epidemic that is reaching younger and younger populations,” says Dr. Maan Fares, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic (who was not involved in the study). “[The findings] come as a relative surprise, but it’s not entirely surprising. It’s beyond what I would have expected but not much worse. My speculation is that obesity and lifestyle for the most part are playing a role in this.”

It is recommended that kids get 60 minutes a day to be healthy. Cholesterol and obesity are just a few signs of what an increasingly sedentary lifestyle is harming the next generation. Are you looking for a way to help your students?

With Walkabouts, your students are physically active while learning. Want to see how easy it is to integrate movement into your classrooms? Get a free trial of Walkabouts to see how we can help get your kids healthier!