Hello, my name is Laine Talbot and I am a second year student in the BCOM program at UVIC! Active health has always been something that I have integrated into my life from a young age.
Understanding Active Health Education
With Gordon Head being a relatively small community, the walkability was excellent. There are many paths and shortcuts that allowed me to walk to school every day for the entirety of my middle and high school career. The incorporation of this routine exercise into my daily commute was the complete embodiment of what active health is all about. Education on active health is extremely important for children to create lasting habits that will create lifelong positive impacts. Children are highly impressionable, and during their time in school spend more time with their teachers than they do with their parents. This allows educators the opportunity to inspire and coach the younger generations on the importance of the 24-hour components of health and ensure that the children understand the importance of sleep, proper nutrition and exercise.
Key Issues in Youth Physical Activities
Among all the key issues for increasing active lifestyles and participation, lack of awareness is one of the most significant. Without a base understanding of the importance of incorporating physical activity into daily routines, people are much less likely to prioritize it. In my experience I have found that some teachers put too much emphasis on physical health such as pacer tests that children can grow to resent physical activities and see it more as a chore rather than something that is fun. I can recall that some students would do everything in their power to not exercise, even to the extent of hiding in the bathrooms to avoid going outside. This is why it is so important to ensure that the physical activities are seen as a fun part of daily life rather than a chore.
My Experience With Active Health In School
Throughout my experience I feel that I was very lucky to have been taught the importance of active health from my family members and teachers. At school, I recall every lunch-hour at Gordon Head Middle School all my friends and I would get together for a big game of football. It was so easy for us to get exercise every lunch hour because football was something that we all enjoyed. Rather than seeing running around for the entire lunch break as a chore, we began forming rivalries and our competitive spirits fueled us. Ultimately, the primary message of this reflection is passion. Active health is much more attainable when it is seen as a non-negotiable part of daily life. This is why it is important to inspire children to be able to take these steps, and truly want to be active. Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog post, many more to come!