The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Today Susan White is a guest Blogger with a great post about, How Healthy is Your Teen .   How Healthy is Your Teen? By Susan White My close friend and mother of two young boys (let’s call her G) was taken to task by both her mother and mother-in-law for the sole reason of getting her teen son to wake up an hour earlier each morning and taking a jog or going for a brisk walk on the treadmill. He had been a chubby baby, but what was cute as a kid was turning out to be both embarrassing and unhealthy as an adolescent. G took matters into her hands when she realized her son showed no inclination to join a sport or indulge in any form of exercise; she brought home a treadmill, and after a few persuasive talks (and bargaining sessions) with her son, she convinced him to get some exercise on it every day. Mother and son would begin the day in the basement – G would go a few miles on the stationary bike while her son jogged along on the treadmill. They not only got...

We are hearing more about childhood obesity and teen obesity . More and more teens and kids are technically connected however not getting outside and exercise! Summer is almost here and it is time to get involved in physical education. During Physical Fitness Month, take the time to learn more about staying healthy and eating right. The Guard Fit Challenge and the Physical Fitness Month Did you know that May is National Physical Fitness and Sports month? What better time than the present to begin to help your teens understand the value and benefits of being physically fit. And thanks to the Army National Guard's Guard Fit Challenge, helping your teen set and achieve fitness goals has never been easier. Fitness Resources for Students, Young Adults, Teachers, and Parents Whether you are a student who is starting to think about fitness, a young adult passionate about reaching your fitness goals, a teacher who is looking to inspire students, or a parent looking for additional resource...

More and more we are seeing people (adults and teens) running, jogging and sweating. Although running is not for everyone, it is a great activity that not only can keep you healthy, it can also be a family activity. Whether you make is a Saturday and Sunday habit, or evening or early morning (before or after school and work), doing it as a family can help promote your relationship with your teen and children. Starting running can be tough, but stick it out, it will be worth it. In Broward County, Runners Depot Training Team started in 2000 and since then has grown tremendously. More and more people are taking an interest in being and staying healthy. Every Saturday at the Town Center in Weston, as many as 60 runners meet as they venture a 10-20 mile run. Sun-Sentinel recently reported on their group, Early risers on the run in Weston . Running is beneficial to you in many aspects of your life. Whether it is for your heath, heart, losing weight, stress relief, meeting other peo...

Let's face it, more and more kids today are engrossed with their computers and cell phones. Less are participating in physical activity . Years ago a game of kick-ball in the neighborhood was a weekly or even daily event afterschool. Today with the fear of our kids being kidnapped or the kids simply more interested in their technology, teens and kids are not getting enough exercise. Parents it is time to speak up. PE 4 Life is an organization that can help you bring more psychical education into your school district and your community. Do you realize that schools have devalued and cut physical education to the point that the majority of children get one day of PE per week? Children today have a shorter life expectancy than their parents for the first time in one hundred years because of the epidemic of obesity, according to Dr. William Klish, Professor of Pediatrics and Head of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine. Lack of PE at school is a disservice to y...

Sarah Maria is a body image expert and has an exciting new book coming out, Love Your Body, Love Your Life . Take a moment to visit her website at http://www.breakfreebeauty.com/ and learn more about overcoming eating disorders and empowering your life and the life of your teenager. Body Image in Teens By Sarah Maria If you're in high school, most of your friends are probably on a diet. A recent study shows that 90% of junior and senior girls are on a diet regularly, even though only 10-15% are actually overweight. The modeling industry also promotes the idea that you need to diet and exercise religiously. Fashion models are actually thinner than 98% of American women. An average woman stands 5'4" tall and weighs about 140 lbs, while the average fashion model is a towering 5'11" tall and weighs under 117 lbs. In reality no amount of dieting, exercise and discipline can earn you a magazine cover-ready body because those photos have been Photo Shopped, doctored an...

EDUCATION AND EXERCISE By Sarah Newton Get your students moving I do believe that a lot of current schooling is failing our young people. It feels, in some cases, that schools have gone backwards in their approach to young people and that despite lots of innovations in education, it feels as if we are no further forward in our approach to education. As I sit here looking at my bookshelf I am reminded of two books that I really must read, Spark and Brain Rules, which both talk about the effect of exercise on learning. Currently, in the UK, most schools are cutting down on exercise in the curriculum and exercise; it appears to be of secondary importance to results and achievement. And then we wonder why we have an obesity problem among our children. However, there are pockets of amazing things happening, like one school in America that ensures every student has PE each day and has including PE-ready sessions before remedial Maths and English, with incredible results. Here is why exercis...

Summer is almost here - help your kids get healthy, eat healthy and get outside and get active! Promoting positive eating habits and regular excercise can help build your child’s self esteem and help them to make better choices! Sabrina Bryan has teamed up with The Alliance for a Healthier Generation to launch their new campaign called empowerME by challenging today’s youth to make their own workout video! The top five finalists will receive autographed copies of Sabrina’s newest BYOU DVD and the winner will also receive a personalized video message from Sabrina. For more information on The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the empowerME campaign and Sabrina Bryan’s video contest please visit http://www.empowerme2b.org/ . About empowerME: empowerMe is a by kids, for kids movement that inspires today’s youth to eat healthier and move more, motivate each other, and to be a solution to America’s obesity epidemic. One million kids have already joined the movement and we want one million...

The CBS Early Show - Pumping Up the Brain Watch now: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4764808n Researchers are finding that exercise can not only keep you fit, but make you smarter. A school in Illinois has developed a program that gets students moving and learning. Debbye Turner Bell reports. In SPARK , John J. Ratey, M.D., embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer’s. Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run—or, for that matter, simply the way you think. ...

Speaking with parents on almost a daily basis, it is obvious teens and kids are exercising less and less. Well, except with their keypads! Get your kids into a healthy New Year! Give a Friend of PE4life Membership! With the holidays quickly approaching and the economy quickly dwindling, it's important more important than ever to purchase gifts wisely. This year, instead of wasting your money on another expensive kitchen gadget, why not give them a gift that invests in the future and improves the lives of children across the country? PE4life is offering you the chance to purchase a Friend of PE4life subscription for a loved one. You can choose from four levels of giving - Rookie, All Star, Champ, or MVP - one for every price range. By joining this exclusive opportunity, the recipient will become an appreciated contributor to the organization that has trained teams from 38 states and five countries, impacting more than 2 million school children! Remember to visit the Pro Shop f...

Wow - what a great website I was just introduced to! Check out this page for Parent Information: Parents are busy with a full workday, helping their children with homework, engaging their children in after school activities, and so on. This doesn't leave a whole lot of time for physical activity in your own lives. Do you realize that schools have devalued and cut physical education to the point that the majority of children get one day of PE per week? Children today have a shorter life expectancy than their parents for the first time in one hundred years because of the epidemic of obesity, according to Dr. William Klish, Professor of Pediatrics and Head of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine. Lack of PE at school is a disservice to your child's health. Speak up. Demand that your school offers daily quality physical education. Use PE4life as a resource partner to enhance your school's PE program. A recent study revealed that 81% of teachers and 85% of pa...

Source: Connect with Kids “There is a connection between physical activity and learning and it is a positive one - children who are more physically fit do better academically. They concentrate better in the classroom [and] they perform better on math and reading examinations.” – Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General In an effort to boost test performance, many schools are taking time away from physical education and using it for more time in class. But studies now show that rigorous physical activity can actually lead to better grades. In Broward County, Florida, many schools are getting the message. Fourth grade teacher Katherine Bennett takes her students out for a five-minute walk after a long lesson. “I found that when my children start yawning and they start not paying attention, then one way I can refocus those children is to take them out for a brief, little fun walk,” she says. “And by the time we’ve got them back into the room again, they’re ...