As fall-to-winter temperatures dip, and this endemic, former COVID-19 pandemic and flu season again make their presence known, I am reminded of two life maxims for this time of pumpkin spice and the holidays._Get your shots, and for even better yearround counsel,_be wise and exercise.
The pandemic perhaps made the most lasting impacts on our youth, now even more tethered to various technology devices, both in the classroom and in most aspects of their day-to-day lives. There has been a significant shift_toward greater_reliance and communication_via_those devices and various social media platforms.
However, it unfortunately is often paired with a more sedentary lifestyle._According to a recent Washington Post article, for the first time in nearly a century, life projections for our children are now shorter than for their parents.
Not only is life expectancy declining, but the U.S. is falling behind our peer Western nations, with obesity, chronic illness, and early-age heart disease and cancers now claiming young adult lives in this country at alarming rates._ A landmark study in Australia, published by_The_British Journal of Sports Medicine_(unisa. edu.au/media-centre/ Releases/2023/ exercise-more-effective- than-medicines- to-manage-mental- health/) identified the perhaps most obvious, low-cost solution ... regular activity and exercise, which the data shows to be_1.5 times more effective _in treating anxiety, depression, and many other related conditions of teen angst than pharmaceuticals or even more traditional talk therapy.
These researchers clearly recommend regular physical activity as the_“first choice treatment.”
Enter into this expanding physical and mental health decline and crisis, parent, cool mom, issues activist, and entrepreneur _Jennifer Owens, who also is a mother of two daughters and a civic leader as a member of the Brookhaven City Council._Owens believes that all kinds of physical activity are not only good for you but offer a great way to strengthen relationships and increase happiness and self-esteem while building muscle mass and better cardiovascular_health.
Owens leads the nonprofit_HealthMPowers (healthmpowers.org)_with an incredibly straightforward and simple mission statement: “We champion healthy_habits and transform the environments where children live, learn, and play.”
Good nutrition and a healthy diet also play a significant role, but as physical education and recess begin to take a back seat in schools, absent extra-curricular activities and sports at the high school level, HealthMPowers is intervening and serving as a powerful catalyst at both elementary and middle school levels, building life patterns of healthy habits, much like strong muscle tissue, early on.
Founded in 2000, and originally housed in donated space at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,_the enterprise was founded by two_community leaders and six educators who developed evidencebased, fun and active programming to specifically improve the health of young women.
By 2007, HMP became an official_SNAP-Ed implementing organization, in partnership with the state of Georgia and the USDA. HMP then shifted its initial approach from training educators and students to building active multi-year partnerships with schools, schools systems, and sponsors to transform traditional educational settings into healthier more active learning and living environments.
Schools and_thousands of_young female students in DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Henry counties and spots all across Georgia now_receive multiple positive benefits and impacts simply by leading more active lives._The HealthMPowers Report Card for 2024 (hmp-impact- report.my.canva.site/ healthmpowers-2024-impact- report) is both inspiring and impressive.
So, for your list of New Year’s Resolutions, I recommend seriously considering being like Jennifer Owens._If building out a fitness and health nonprofit sounds overly ambitious, though, simply start walking daily and invite your children along, particularly those sometimes grouchy and resistant tweens and teens._Help your children or perhaps grandchildren to build healthy new life habits before poor choices solidify and_lead to longterm _damage._Suggest to your local PTA or even a group of home-school families_the_many_benefits of a fitness program, or even onsite consultation by HealthMPowers.__ As the father of two loving daughters, I can attest to the benefits of long drives, occasional hikes, and walks on the beach or_various multi-use trails throughout the years. Those times provided me with some of the best insights I ever had into the day-to-day of their lives without feeling like I was_prying._ Can you think of a better, easier win than becoming a better friend to your children or grandchildren? _I can’t. So, be wise, move around, have some fun, and get outside.
It is all exercise, and I assure you, you will be more than glad you did.
