Spring is in the Air

With Spring comes an opportunity to spend more time outside in leisure activity and regular exercise. School is almost out for the summer and children are looking forward to more free time and lots of fun with friends and family.

What will children be doing with their "free-time" during the summer vacation? As I have watched my own children at home and made an effort to know what they are doing when they are at friends homes, I have reason to be concerned about the amount of time they spend playing video games, computer games, and surfing the internet.

What advice can teachers give to encourage more healthy and active lifestyles for their students during the summer? What can parents do to encourage children to spend less time with a joystick in their hand and more time in physical activity?

Teachers can ask parents about their child's video game playing habits during parent-teacher conferences and encourage parents to monitor such activities. Teachers can inform parents about some of the research that has been completed relating to the impact of TV, and electronic game playing.

Did You Know?

• Children spend more time sitting in front of electronic screens than any other activity besides sleeping. The average time spent with various media (televisions, computers, video games) is nearly four and one half-hours per day among 2 to 17 year olds.
• Academic achievement may be negatively related to over-all time spent playing video games.
• Playing violent video games may be related to aggressive behavior.

Tips for Parents:

1. Limit game playing time. (Recommended: no more than one hour per day.)
2. Use video game ratings and other content sources to help you choose a game.
3. Play with your child to become familiar with the games.
4. Pick the game out for the younger child; be with an older child when choosing.
5. Require that homework and jobs be done first; use video game playing as a reward.
6. Do not put video game set in a child's room where they can shut the door and isolate themselves.
7. Talk about the content of the games. Ask your child about what's going on in the game.
8. Ask your video store to require parental approval before children can rent a violently rated video game.
9. Finally, encourage play with friends away from video game set.

Ron Hager
Health and Fitness Section Editor

Don't Forget to Rest

Part of the health equation is regular physical activity and exercise. An often overlooked part of the equation relates to the rest that is required to recover from the activity and exercise.

Overtraining can be as bad for you as not being in shape at all. An overtrained individual can have less energy, be more susceptible to illness, and more prone to injury. Each time you exercise, muscles, joints, and other connective tissues are stressed. Through proper rest the body can recover and become stronger. Failing to rest never gives your body that chance.

Usually you don't need to be too concerned about getting too much rest. Many experts suggest that it takes from 5 to 7 days to experience any detraining effect.

• Fatigue
• Reduced concentration
• Decreased performance
• Delayed recovery from training
• Increase in injuries
• Chronic muscle soreness
• Appetite loss

• Less is more!
• Five weeks of rest with low levels of exercise.
• Correct nutrition.
• Removing as much stress as possible.
• Slow return to normal training levels.
• Cross training to avoid temptation of too much too soon.
• In general if performance and mood improve, the overtrained individual is recovering.

Tattoos

Tattoos might seem like something desirable now, but ask yourself: Is this something I want on my body 10 or 20 years from now?

Tattoo removal is possible but not easy or inexpensive. Typically it takes 2 to 15 visits to a dermatologist for laser removal of a tattoo, and don't expect insurance to cover the cost: about $250 to $500 for each visit. Even with the laser removal most tattoos don't come off completely. Often there is a shadow or color stains on the skin.

A surgeon can completely remove the tattoo by doing a skin graft. Skin grafting involves removing skin from other parts of the body to replace skin that has been removed from the area of the tattoo. This process is also difficult and costly.

There are other risks to consider:

• Allergic reactions to tattoo dyes such as, ulcers, weeping, lumpy and itchy skin, burning and sensitivity to the sun.
• Risk of contracting hepatitis C from applying a tattoo with a dirty needle.
• Risk of HIV infection. 

Is your child overweight?

No	80%
Yes	8%
Well, maybe just a little …	8%
I don't know	2%

(total votes: 2545)

Should schools notify parents if their child is overweight?

 

Yes, parents need a wake-up call	20%
Yes, but only if the child is obese -- not simply carrying a little baby fat	33%
No, it's none of the school's business	38%
I'm not sure	8%

(total votes: 2553)

To vote for yourself and see the results of other polls go to this Web Site.