'There’s a growing awareness that for the good of their health, children need to be out and about more, with their friends, exploring the outdoor world in their own way.' - Nicola Butler, Director of the Free Play Network It is widely acknowledged that children today do not get outdoors often enough and there are serious concerns about children's activity levels and rising associated behavioural, mental and health problems. With such structured and technology-driven lives, it is easy for young children to stay indoors, play on computers and not socialise with other children in a healthy and active way. This book not only supports 'playing out' as an integral part of children’s natural growth and development, but also provides early years workers with a full programme of outdoor physical activities to promote physical, social and behavioural skills. This book is a guidebook to setting up an outdoor physical activity programme in any early years setting. The book focuses on how getting outdoors and taking part in physical activities will provide children with positive fun experiences to enhance their general learning and development. The programme can be adapted to suit any timescale - from a whole term to one or two days. Key features include showing practitioners: how to make the most of their outdoor area for all children step by step explanations to the outdoor activities how to engage participants (including parents) how to set up and plan activities ideas for group and individual assessment how to carry out risk assessments how an outdoors programme can change children's lives for the better.

The Healthy Knees Book details the structure and function of the knee and explains its common injuries and chronic pains. With her holistic approach to healing, Dr. Pujari examines how the whole mind and body can promote balance and healing in your hard-working knees, while co-author Alton culls information from medical specialists, physical therapists, yoga and fitness instructors, nutritionists, and herbalists.

When it comes to physical activity and proper nutrition, young children need more encouragement and structure than ever before--especially in a culture inundated by video games, television, and fast food. Active Start for Healthy Kids: Activities, Exercises, and Nutritional Tipscontains a wealth of fun, easy-to-implement activities that are specifically designed to teach 2- to 6-year-old children important health concepts. With this book as your guide, you can reach children in their formative years and help them develop positive behaviors that will last a lifetime. Dr. Stephen Virgilio has been a children's health expert for more than 25 years. In this book he provides a wealth of safe, inexpensive, and developmentally appropriate activities that parents, teachers, and caregivers can implement: - More than 50 developmental exercises and activities for flexibility, muscular fitness, and cardiorespiratory endurance - 20 fun family physical activities - 16 motor skill activities - 21 yoga poses and games - 18 dance and rhythm activities - The top 10 nutritional guidelines for parents and teachers - Heart-healthy kids' recipes Help children engage in exercise that will benefit them for years to come. Active Start for Healthy Kids: Activities, Exercises, and Nutritional Tipsis the first step toward a fuller, longer, and better life for the next generation.

Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.

Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and treat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease stroke diabetes and breast and colon cancer. It also helps to prevent hypertension overweight and obesity and can improve mental health quality of life and well-being. In addition to the multiple health benefits of physical activity societies that are more active can generate additional returns on investment including a reduced use of fossil fuels cleaner air and less congested safer roads. These outcomes are interconnected with achieving the shared goals political priorities and ambition of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. The new WHO global action plan to promote physical activity responds to the requests by countries for updated guidance and a framework of effective and feasible policy actions to increase physical activity at all levels. It also responds to requests for global leadership and stronger regional and national coordination and the need for a whole-of-society response to achieve a paradigm shift in both supporting and valuing all people being regularly active according to ability and across the life course. The action plan was developed through a worldwide consultation process involving governments and key stakeholders across multiple sectors including health sports transport urban design civil society academia and the private sector.

Outdoor recreation refers to recreation/activity executed outdoors, most commonly in natural settings. At least in many high-income countries, outdoor recreation is by many considered as an attractive activity during spare time or holidays. People actively seek out activities such as walking in the mountains, climbing, hunting, horseback riding, skiing, etc., which are very often difficult to accommodate in ordinary working days. Some people find outdoor recreation attractive to the extent that they take several months or a year off from work in order to spend time in nature. Outdoor recreation stimulates a healthy lifestyle and increases public health, and it is important to develop outdoor activity habits from early childhood, a habit that should last for an entire lifetime. This book will take you through the definitions of outdoor recreation and different types of recreation. Furthermore, the book will also give you a snapshot of the physiological and psychological effects of outdoor recreation and why outdoor recreation is important for development in children and adolescents, and for adults and the older population, in addition to descriptions of some of the major and maybe the most used outdoor activities.

The book tells the story of how we never evolved to exercise - to do voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. Using his own research and experiences throughout the world, the author recounts how and why humans evolved to walk, run, dig, and do other necessary and rewarding physical activities while avoiding needless exertion. Drawing on insights from biology and anthropology, the author suggests how we can make exercise more enjoyable, rather that shaming and blaming people for avoiding it