WHEN AND WHERE:

Feb. 4, 2012 at 12 noon, Tempe Beach Park

Tempe Firefighters Youth Fitness Camps were created to fight the rapidly increasing youth obesity epidemic here in Arizona. Tempe Firefighters already volunteer in our community as youth leaders, coaches and instructors. Tempe Firefighters Youth Fitness Camps are an opportunity for firefighters to volunteer their time to help Arizona youth learn valuable information about exercise, healthy eating and fitness while having fun!

• Youth Fitness Camps are FREE…the entire program is funded by Tempe Fighters of Local 493.
• Each participant will receive a FREE drawstring backpack with valuable information on healthy eating and exercise.
• Children ages 6-14 are welcome to attend. Children and parents will learn fun and effective ways to exercise with minimal equipment taught by off-duty Tempe Firefighters of Local 493 with backgrounds in athletics and personal training.

Large groups and troops are welcome, too … please give us the name of your group and the number of attendees by Feb. 1st, 2012.

And even before the Fitness Camp, make sure you and your family join the 2012 Regional Unity Walk that same Saturday at 10 a.m. Hosted by the City of Tempe, ASU and other Valley communities, the Unity Walk brings together families, community organizations, Scout groups, schools, and faith groups to celebrate diversity. Walkers are encouraged to carry signs and banners representing their groups.

Learn more at the Unity Walk’s Web page:
http://www.tempe.gov/diversity/regionalunitywalk.htm

Nutrition Tips

For great tips on how to eat healthier at every meal, visit the USDA’s MyPlate website at: www.ChooseMyPlate.gov

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables

• Eat red, orange and dark-green vegetables, such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli in main and side dishes.
• Eat fruit, vegetables, or unsalted nuts as snacks – they are nature’s original fast foods.

Switch to skim or 1% milk

• They have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but less fat and calories.
• Try calcium-fortified soy products as an alternative to dairy foods.

Make at least half your grains whole

• Choose 100% whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice and pasta.
• Check the ingredients list on food packages to find whole-grain foods.

Vary your protein food choices

• Twice a week, make seafood the protein on your plate.
• Eat beans, which are a natural source of fiber and protein.
• Keep meat and poultry portions small and lean.

Choose foods and drinks with little or no added sugars

• Drink water instead of sugary drinks. There are about 10 packets of sugar in a 12-ounce can of soda.
• Select fruit for dessert. Eat sugary desserts less often.
• Choose 100% fruit juice instead of fruit-flavored drinks.

Look out for salt (sodium) in foods you buy

• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Add spices or herbs to season food without adding salt.

Eat fewer foods that are high in solid fats

• Make major sources of saturated fat — such as cakes, cookies, ice cream, pizza, cheese, sausages, and hot dogs – occasional choices, not everyday foods.
• Select lean cuts of meats or poultry and fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese.
• Switch from solid fats to oils when preparing food.

Enjoy your food, but eat less

• Get your personal daily calorie limit at www.ChooseMyPlate.gov and keep that number in mind when deciding what to eat.

Think before you eat…is it worth the calories?

• Avoid oversized portions.
• Use a smaller plate, bowl, and glass.
• Stop eating when you are satisfied, not full.
• Cook more often at home, where you are in control of what’s in your food.

USDA Health Tips

Cut Back on Sweet Treats 

Kid Friendly Veggies and Fruits

Be a Healthy Role Model

All nutrition information obtained through the federal guidelines posted the US Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and MyPlate 

Physical Activity Tips

Parents can help children promote a healthy lifestyle and control their weight through regular physical activity. Regular physical activity makes it less likely that significant health problems will develop and more likely that children will remain healthy as adults.

Compared to those who are inactive, physically active youth have:

• Better cardiorespiratory fitness
• Stronger muscles
• Lower body fatness
• Stronger bones
• Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression

Children can achieve substantial health benefits by doing moderate to vigorous physical activity for 60 minutes a day. This can be accomplished in multiple sessions or all at one time, and should consist of aerobic activity as well as age-appropriate muscle and bone strengthening activities.

Bone-strengthening activities are especially important for children and young adolescents because the greatest gains in bone mass occur during the years just before and during puberty.

Adults play an important role in providing age-appropriate opportunities for physical activity. In doing so, they help lay an important foundation for life-long, health-promoting physical activity. Adults need to encourage active play in children and encourage sustained and structured activity as children grow older.

It is important to encourage young people to participate in physical activities that are appropriate for their age, that are enjoyable, and that offer variety.

• Aerobic activities are those in which young people rhythmically move their large muscles. Running, hopping, skipping, jumping rope, swimming, dancing, and bicycling are all examples of aerobic activities.
• Muscle-strengthening activities make muscles do more work than usual during activities of daily life. This is called “overload,” and it strengthens the muscles. Muscle-strengthening activities can be unstructured and part of play, such as playing on playground equipment, climbing trees, and playing tug-of-war. Or these activities can be structured, such as lifting weights or working with resistance bands.
• Bone-strengthening activities produce a force on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength. This force is commonly produced by impact with the ground. Running, jumping rope, basketball, tennis, and hopscotch are all examples of bone strengthening activities.

*Children don’t usually do or need formal muscle-strengthening programs, such as lifting weights.

Children should make sure to include vigorous-intensity activities every day because they cause a greater improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness than moderate activities alone. Vigorous-intensity activities are a 7 to 8 on a scale of 1-10 and result in a rapid heart and respiratory rate.

All physical activity information obtained through the federal guidelines posted the US Department of Health and Human Services and The White House Let’s Move Campaign

Fitness Resources

• Let’s Move Campaign / The White House
• MyPlate Healthy Eating / United States Department of Agriculture
• Healthy People 2020: Early and Middle Childhood
• Physical Activity Guidelines for American’s: Active Children and Adolescents / US Department of Health & Human Services
• National Prevention Strategy Report / Office of the Surgeon General
• National Physical Activity Plan
• USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

Video Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / Obesity Epidemic Video

Let’s Move and Childhood Obesity