By TIM GOODWIN
During the summer months, it’s not too hard for the kids to keep active. Between summer camps, swimming in one of Concord’s many great local pools and warm weather activities, like bike riding, hiking and sports, it seems as though they’re always on the move.
But once the school year begins, there will certainly be a lot more sitting down (unless they skipped all those above mentioned activities and spent the summer playing video games or perusing Facebook).
As parents, we know the importance of a healthy lifestyle, which is why we caught up with Young McWhinnie, fitness instructor at the Penacook Community Center who helps with the exercise aspect of the after school programs, to see what kind of recommendations he had to get the kids moving and grooving.
Having seen many kids come through the doors of the community center after a long day of school, McWhinnie has come up with a few strategies.
First things first, make it fun. When the students arrive, he doesn’t want to make them run laps or do jumping jacks – they have the rest of their lives to do exercise routines like that to stay in shape.
“It’s a long day in the classroom, so you try to make it fun,” McWhinnie said, whose thesis was about incorporating academics into a physical education setting.
Instead, he has a laundry list of games to choose from that allows the kids to forget about homework and class.
“You want to keep active and keep moving,” McWhinnie said. “I like to find ways to incorporate exercise in a fun setting.”
The goal is to get some of that energy out before getting back into the academic side of things. Since it is the school year, there’s a homework component to the after school sessions.
“I find you retain information more when you’re awake and alert,” McWhinnie said.
But it’s also well documented that children need 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day.
“I think that’s a good mindset,” McWhinnie said.
