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Poland kids, parents have fun night of fitness, health
By Sean Barron
POLAND
Six-year-old Julia Clark enjoys taking tap, jazz and ballet lessons, so it’s probably safe to say that she already has one leg up on fighting obesity.
“It’s fun. I learned that it’s good for you,” the Poland Union Elementary School student said about the importance of exercise.
Julia was among the first-graders who had plenty of fun and didn’t mind breaking a bit of a sweat during Tuesday’s annual Family Health Night gathering at the school, 30 Riverside Drive.
The two-hour event, which featured three activity stations, provided a series of activities for the first-graders and their parents that focused on the importance of maintaining a good diet and engaging in regular physical fitness.
More than 75 percent of children age 6 to 11 fail to eat adequate fruits and vegetables daily, and many have low intakes of healthful, dark-green leafy and yellow vegetables as well as nutrient-filled fruits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Compounding the problem of childhood obesity in the U.S. is that many restaurants serve much-larger portions than 30 years ago, which leads to an increase in calories, according to the CDC.
Julia, who came with her parents, Jason and Kara Clark, joined her peers in the gym as they jumped up and down box steps in 15-second increments, then did 20 jumping jacks and a variety of stretches as physical education teacher Mark Wesolowsky led them.
Also in the mix were a series of step-aerobic moves, running and activities with hula-hoops.
Adding to the children’s enjoyment were mascots from the Youngstown State University Penguins, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, the Youngstown Phantoms and the Poland Bulldogs, who often participated in the routines with them.
Wesolowsky said he hopes to see more youngsters exercise consistently in an effort to stave off obesity.
At another station, Principal Mike Masucci explained to the kids and adults the relationship between gardening and exercise, noting that planting flowers and vegetables is a great workout and burns calories.
He encouraged the youngsters’ parents to allow them to garden at their own pace, have a say about what’s planted and grow a mixture of seeds such as celery and basil.
Masucci had the children plant seeds to grow grass in cups that had their names and photographs attached.
At the third station, the students and their parents received a primer on good nutrition, thanks to Alice Colella, a first-grade teacher.
“Not only should they exercise, they should eat properly,” said Colella, who discussed the nutritional value of many fruits and vegetables.
To increase the fun, she had the children play “Food Jingo,” a game that featured cards and rules similar to bingo. The cards displayed mushrooms, pizza, muffins and numerous other foods.
Winners received a box of raspberries and everyone was able to partake of oranges, kiwi fruits, strawberries, blueberries and apples.
Masucci said he was grateful to Ravenna-based produce supplier Sirna & Sons, which provided the fruits.