School’s out, and children have more free time on their hands—what will they do with it? At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we want to urge all our Middlesex County parents to promote a physically active summer for their children. The pandemic shutdowns have made the alarming problem of childhood obesity worse. A recent study of about 300,000 children showed an increase in the prevalence of obesity by nearly 2% between January 2019 and December 2020. It is an uptick in an already alarming trend: in 2018, the CDC reported that 19% of children 2-19 were obese—up from only 5% in 1980. So, the message is: get moving!

What Children Need:

The CDC guidelines for school-age children ages 6-17 recommend 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. Activity should offer opportunities for the following types of exercise:

• Aerobic

• Muscle-strengthening

• Bone-strengthening

How to Get It:

There are lots of ways to ensure that your children get the physical activity they need:

• Enroll them in a summer sports program.

• Build physical activity into your day: a bike ride around the neighborhood after dinner, a walk first thing after breakfast.

• Choose more active family recreation options. Instead of a trip to the movie theater, consider the bowling alley or a hike at a nearby state park. Connecticut once again offers its “The Sky’s the Limit Hiking Challenge,” which encourages participants to hike 20 parks within the state.

• Limit screen time. Give your child an incentive for finding more physical activities.

• Create a family step challenge. Using basic pedometers or sports watches, host a friendly competition to see who gets the most steps in every day.

• Lead by example. Let your children see that being physically active is a priority for them.

Play it Safe

Foot pain can impede a person’s ability to be active. If you or your children experience any excessive soreness, pain, or discomfort in the feet or ankles after stepping up your activity level, get it checked out promptly by making an appointment at our Cromwell office by calling 860-632-5499. Our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, will examine your feet to get to the source of your podiatric discomfort and determine what treatment is necessary to fix it.