Posts Tagged: physical activity

Partnering for a safe and strong summer

School is back in session and students across the nation are busy in the classroom and cafeteria learning and eating. But what happens to students in the summer months when school is out? Research suggests a summer learning achievement gap occurs between children from low income communities and their higher income peers when school is out. Even more, summer has been called “the hungriest time of the year” for low-income children who rely on school meals to get enough food during the school year. 

In response to the summer hunger problem, the USDA created the Summer Food Service Program to give schools, agencies, non-profits, etc., the funding to be able to offer free meals to children 18 years and younger at approved low-income sites. Still, as of summer 2015, the summer meal program remained underutilized when compared to the number of low-income children accessing school meals during the regular school year.

 

 

To offer excellent programming and increase participation in the summer food program, partnering agencies in Santa Maria worked to provide physical activity, nutrition education and other summer enrichment programming at local city parks in conjunction with the Summer Food Service Program. The Safe and Strong All Summer Long program was coordinated through the Santa Maria City Recreation and Parks to provide free, drop-in recreation opportunities from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. in parks throughout the city all summer. Meals were brought to the parks and served for one hour by the local food bank and Community Action Commission staff and volunteers.

 

SNAP-Ed funded agencies have been encouraged to partner with Summer Food Service Programs, though the logistics of working with different agencies and providing education programs in non-traditional settings isn't always easy or clear. During summer 2016, UC CalFresh Nutrition Educators in Santa Barbara County partnered with the Safe and Strong All Summer Long food program to provide staff training and support for family enrichment and physical activities. UC CalFresh staff kicked off the partnership by leading a one-day CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) Physical Activity training for over 20 Recreation & Parks staff. CATCH focuses on inclusive physical education that keeps youth engaged and active. After the training and throughout the summer, UC staff participated weekly at two park summer meal sites encouraging youth and their families to get physically active, drink water and eat healthy. UC staff continued to provide guidance and training on-site to Recreation & Parks staff on how to engage a variety of youth of all ages in fun physical activities.

 

Several other partner agencies also provided engaging programming to parents while the youth were eating their lunches. The local hospital and County Public Health Department conducted food demonstrations and distributed healthy recipe food samples to parents at sites throughout the city.

In a focus group conducted in June 2016 with parents from the local school district, parents commented that they would like more information and ideas about how and where to do physical activities as a family. Participants commented that they appreciated that their children were learning how to be physically active at school, but it would be helpful to have information on how to involve the whole family: parents, siblings and all of the family so they could get exercise and enjoy their time together.

By providing free drop-in programming at local parks, in conjunction with free meals for youth, the Safe and Strong All Summer Long partnership was able to provide access to safe spaces for families to come together during the summer to be physically active and reduce food insecurity.

UC CalFresh Nutrition Educator Miguel Dia, commented that the best part of the summer partnership was “engaging the youth in a variety of different games and seeing all the different age groups participating. By the end of the summer, the older youth were actually teaching the younger youth how to do the CATCH activities.”

Walking the talk

San Joaquin County nutrition educators are not only promoting physical activity to the families they teach, but walking the talk together every day.

Family nutrition educators from University of California CalFresh [UC CalFresh] and Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program [EFNEP], two federally funded nutrition education programs that provide free nutrition workshops to low-income families, have joined together to practice the lessons they teach to their participants in San Joaquin County, including exercising for at least 30 minutes a day. 

“I wanted to exercise more regularly,” UC CalFresh nutrition educator Lorena Hoyos said. “But doing it alone wasn't working, so when the idea of working out as a group came about at training, it was the perfect opportunity. Exercising with others is a great motivator, they keep you active.”

Using home-brought exercise videos like T-25, The Firm, Hip Hop Abs and others, the nutrition staff have been sweating to the beat.

“I noticed that my endurance has gone up,” EFNEP nutrition educator Houa Lee said. “I have more confidence at work and in conducting the physical activity breaks at my classes.”

Prior to the videos, the nutrition staff, along with other San Joaquin County UC Cooperative Extension employees, were doing activities like walking around the block or going to the gym together after work. Some educators even participated in weekend races or rides, such as the Color Run, Hit the Street for Hunger Run, The Electric Run, Cinderella Bike Ride and others. 

“I think it's important to show participants that we are not just preaching the goals, but living them,” said Raquel Fernandez, a program representative for the UC CalFresh and EFNEP programs. “This makes them seem a lot more attainable and helps us relate better to our participants. It also helps establish trust and credibility to our lessons.”

Participants have been asking for more physical activity,” EFNEP nutrition educator Monica Radrigan said. “It's the main reason they come and they love it! And as a result, we've noticed retention has been increasing too.”

The exercise sessions have also improved team-building efforts.

“I like to be able to come into workplace where we can support each other,” Community Nutrition Action Plan facilitator Tina Her said. “Not only in a work setting, but on a personal basis as well. This helps me connect with my coworkers better.”

UCCE nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor Anna Martin said after-work exercise program is a win-win situation.

“I am proud that our staff has initiated activities that not only promote their own physical health, but improves their relationship as a team," Martin said.

'Tis the season to balance food with physical activity

For years the news and media have released reports that the holidays mean weight gain and ever-widening waistlines. All the hype leaves me asking: how many holidays between Thanksgiving and New Year’s do we actually have?

Ok, so take out your calendar and circle the holidays and potential “food-related” events you might attend. We have Thanksgiving Day, Hanukkah, Christmas Day, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, and a Saturday or two of holiday parties to attend. When we look at it that way, it becomes more and more clear to us that Thanksgiving isn’t our ticket to eat foods laden with fat throughout the month of December! What it does do, however, is remind us of the food related events to come.

There are a few things in life that that we just can’t control: holiday gatherings, office Christmas parties, laughing at a not-so-funny joke, and, did I mention, family? Let’s face it, as much as we would like to control the holiday season, there are times when we just can’t.

What’s completely within our control? Physical activity! I know, I know, the moment I say physical activity we start thinking of the closet of winter clothes we need to organize, the windows that need to be washed (even though it’s going to rain tomorrow), or the dusting that you just haven’t been able to get to all summer (maybe that’s just me).

But if we know that the next month or so is going to be filled with food-related activities, why not counter-balance the darts of despair with shields of activity? Because that my friend, we can control!

Increasing physical activity provides the body and mind with many benefits:

• Increase your chances of living longer
• Feel better about yourself
• Decrease your chances of becoming depressed
• Sleep well at night
• Move around more easily
• Have stronger muscles and bones
• Stay at or get to a healthy weight
• Be with friends or meet new people
• Enjoy yourself and have fun

Why should I move more? According to the USDA guidelines, when we are not physically active, we increase our chances of:

• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Stroke

Physical activity can divided into four different types:

1. Aerobic activities: this activity can be moderate or vigorous (running, walking, skating)
2. Muscle-strengthening activities: makes your muscles stronger (weight lifting, push-ups)
3. Bone-strengthening activities: make your bones stronger (jumping)
4. Balance and stretching activities: enhance physical stability and flexibility (yoga, dancing, t’ai chi)

So what’s your type? Do you like vigorous or moderate exercise? Don’t be afraid to get creative! Physical activity is simply movement of the body that uses energy. Find more ways to increase your physical activity at home, work, and play by visiting Choosemyplate.gov

This holiday season, lets focus on the parts of the holiday season we can control.

Why wait for New Year’s to start gaining the benefits of physical activity?

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