Weighted Toys Help Kids Get Fit
My son is a skinny little monkey like his daddy so issues of overweight isn’t one we’re battling. Despite his size, we still need to make sure he gets all the exercise he needs to be fit and healthy.
Indiana State University researchers gave 6- to 8-year-olds 3-pound weighted and unweighted cardboard blocks which they carried for 10 minutes each on two days. The kids showed improvement in energy expenditure (calories), heart rate, respiration and muscle activity.
ISU physical education professor John Ozmun:
Although these weighted toys are not the only answer to this major health issue, they may serve as a small puzzle piece that could make a positive contribution.
They’re getting a little extra benefit in an unstructured play setting.
Because we live in a four-story townhouse in London, we get plenty of exercise climbing up and down those steps. And, unlike most American families, we walk and/or take public transportation most of the time. That’s a decent amount of exercise just from normal everyday living and it’s a good thing because I hate the gym.
IndyStar.com, June 6, 2006
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