Strong4Life: Georgia’s School Kids Can't Touch Their Toes

By Emily Stoniecki, HFS, Child Wellness, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

I recently read some startling new information about the physical fitness of Georgia school kids. Our partners at the Department of Public Health say the results of their FitnessGrams show many Georgia school children can't do a push-up, walk a mile or even touch their toes! Health leaders are saying our kids are already like the elderly, plagued by diseases once only seen in adults—high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Time to face facts Georgia: our kids are in bad shape!

Rather than wallow in the negative, we can use that mental energy to turn the situation around.  Each of us can (and should!) take charge to improve the health of our children. By helping them “unlearn” unhealthy behaviors, we an literally reroute their course for the future. 

When we talk to families at our Health4Life Clinic, we de-emphasize the difficult (walking a mile, for example) and focus on the smaller steps.  We start by doing positive, realistic things, like playing basketball for 15 minutes or drinking water instead of soda.

You can try this with your family, too. If your child can’t do a push up, ask what he can do to work toward that goal. Better yet, ask what you can do with your child to work toward that goal and beyond. 

At Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, we're wellness experts but also parents, so we know first-hand that making family lifestyle changes can be hard. To help your family get moving in the right direction, we created Strong4Life.com to give you the information, tools and support you need to achieve and maintain a healthier lifestyle, no matter where you are on your journey to better health. 

Not sure where you stand? A great first step is to check out our online Assess4Success quiz. 

Here are a few of my favorite ways to get more physically active:

• Make a Boredom Box filled with suggestions for family activities.
• Rainy day? Check out these fun indoor play ideas.
• On a budget? Here are some free things your family can do today.

These activities will also keep you healthy and makes you one awesome role model for your kiddos!

Working together, we can improve the future of our children’s health. And Strong4Life wants to support you on this journey, so if you have questions or ideas, leave them below or join the continuing conversation on Facebook and Twitter. 

Please, tell us about your frustrations… and your successes. Let’s help each other, and especially our kids, get Strong4Life.

Strong4Life is a movement created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to address the childhood obesity medical crisis that is threatening nearly one million kids in Georgia. For information about Strong4Life visit our website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Strong4Life Blog.