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Q & A: Healthy tips for your day

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The annual national shape-up is under way, and maybe you need more than the usual New Year's resolutions to get up off the couch.



Anything with "gaming" in the title might sound like fun, but her specialty could hardly be more serious: getting kids moving.

Americans of all ages spend too much time on their backsides, and lots of experts think that's a major cause of the obesity epidemic and a growing list of attendant maladies.


An interview:

Q: What happens, physically, to inactive people?

A: The first and most obvious result is obesity or weight gain. Also well-documented are the problems inactivity causes related to heart disease -- blood pressure, cholesterol, circulation, heart rate, diabetes. Bones lose density, putting you at risk for fractures and osteoporosis. Muscle strength declines, limiting you physically so you're not able to do as much, even just around the house. Balance and coordination decline also as muscle strength declines. Basically, if you don't move, you're slowly killing your body.


A: It has a great deal to do with parents and other role models at home. If the parents aren't active, chances are the kids won't be active. Many schools are eliminating or reducing physical education and recess time. So, if they aren't getting it at home or at school, it's no surprise that kids are becoming accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle.



Q: Tell us about your research.

A: What I do is ongoing research on different active gaming or "exergaming" products. I'm also working with schools to hopefully start a pilot program next fall to increase physical activity throughout the day. Students will be instructed to get up and move for five to 10 minutes each hour, then continue the class in their seats.

Q: What is "active gaming"?

A: Some examples are Dance Dance Revolution, Nintendo Wii, Xbox Kinect, Gamercize Steppers, Light space, HopSports. The concept is to require people to use their bodies to play the game. We have two labs at the University of South Florida where we collaborate with different departments across campus and research the health benefits of these games and whether kids like them enough to use them.

Q: How much daily activity is enough?

A: Sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous activity for school-aged children. Every day. And very few are achieving this. Adults need less, about 150 minutes per week at a minimum.

Q: How do you fulfill that requirement?

A: We are just telling families to get up and move, walk in the neighborhood, do active video games, swimming, ride bikes, play catch, Frisbee. Kids need parents involved. If parents don't participate, it's difficult to get kids to buy in. Sometimes you just have to create games, get outside and play.


A: Yes, we've seen it. Making kids run laps and do things that aren't fun, things that just hurt or are boring will keep kids from wanting to be active. Parents should ask the kids, "What would you like to do?" Get the kids to tell you what's fun to them. Parents should also monitor screen time and shut down sedentary time each afternoon.

Q: How much sedentary screen time should be allowed?

A: Most national professional groups recommend no more than two hours of recreational screen time a day. That doesn't include time spent on homework or school-related projects. I'm talking about limiting TV viewing, surfing the Web, video and computer games, social media. Research tells us that most kids get more than 40 hours of recreational screen time a week.

Tips to get going:

You don't have to get all your activity in a single dose. It's better to spread it out, particularly as you get older and more prone to muscle aches and stiffness. For students, a quick activity break can be just the thing to clear the head during a marathon homework session. Some ideas:

-- Park at the back of the parking lot and walk the rest of the way.

-- Take the stairs.

-- "Walk to talk" to your friends, colleagues or business associates.

Avoid phoning or messaging them whenever possible.

-- Start your day with exercise to reduce the likelihood of running out of time or being too tired later on.

-- If you and your family love video games, try active ones and play together.

-- Encourage family walks or even dates in the park with a pet or a picnic.

-- Toss a Frisbee. If your dog won't fetch it, that's all the more activity for you.

-- Wear a pedometer. Get one for everyone in the family and compete to see who gets the most steps, or who gets to 10,000 first every day.

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