Citywest Educate Together N. S.

Benefits of walking to school

10/9/2019

Health
A brisk walk to school can help children get their daily exercise and arrive at school or home, refreshed and energised.

Social
Walking can have a positive effect on a child’s emotional wellbeing. It can encourage independence, road sense and also be an opportunity to chat with friends.
Environmental
The average drive to school and back releases 800g of CO2 into the air – enough to inflate over 60 balloons.
Economical
Encouraging your child to walk to school will save you money on transport fares or petrol money

Exercise is a great start to your childs day!

Shane

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The Great Outdoors and Exercise

29/3/2019

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5 Benefits of outdoor exercise

1. Improved Mood and Reduced Depression. Outdoor exercise provides a mental health boost beyond that of indoor gyms. Moving outdoors has been shown to reduce anger and depression and improve mood (Barton and Pretty, 2010).

2. Enhanced Self-esteem. Research shows that as little as five minutes of outdoor exercise can improve self-esteem (Barton and Pretty, 2010)

3. Low Cost. People often cite cost as one of the biggest factors prohibiting regular exercise. The outdoor environment provides a low-cost solution for exercise enthusiasts and trainers alike.

4. Ease of Access. Local hills, tracks and neighborhood streets provide ideal walking, running and cycling settings.

5. Connecting With Mother Nature. One of the greatest benefits of outdoor exercise lies in its inherent opportunity to connect with Mother Nature and the people and places in your community

Enjoy the exercise, Shane

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National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland

5/3/2019

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The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland have been produced, as one of the recommendations from the National Task Force on Obesity, to increase physical activity and reduce the levels of overweight and obesity among Irish people. These guidelines highlight the recommendations for physical activity for children, young people, adults, older people and people with disabilities, for example:

Adults (18-64yrs) need at least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity on 5 days a week or 150 minutes a week.
Older people need at least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity activity on five days a week, or 150 minutes a week.
Adults with disabilities should be as active as their ability allows. They should aim to meet the adult guidelines of at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on 5 days a week.
Children and young people (2-18 yrs) should be active at a moderate to vigorous level for at least 60 minutes everyday.

Shane

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Are you active daily....

6/2/2019

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Research suggests that just one in five children in Ireland are currently meeting the recommended guidelines for physical activity - at least 60 minutes per day. With moderate physical activity, there should be a mild increase in the heart rate and breathing rate, but the child should still be able to have a conversation. Examples of such activities include brisk walking and cycling.
Vigorous activities will lead to a bigger increase in the heart rate and breathing rate. The child will also experience increased body temperature and sweating and may find speaking in full sentences difficult. Examples of such activities include running, Gaelic football, hurling, soccer, skipping, dancing and swimming.

With Spring upon us the weather changes and the evenings become brighter so what better opportunity to get outside and get moving together. Aim for a minimum 60 minutes daily.

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Staying healthy.....

28/1/2019

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1. Get active each day

Regular physical activity is important for the healthy growth, development and well-being of children and young people.
They should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, including vigorous activities that make them ‘huff and puff’.
Include activities that strengthen muscles and bones on at least 3 days of the week.
Parents should be good role models and have a positive attitude to being active.

2. Choose water as a drink

Water is the best way to quench your thirst – and it doesn’t come with the added sugar found in fruit juices, soft drinks and other sweetened drinks.
Milk for children over two is a nutritious drink and a great source of calcium.
Give kids whole fruit to eat, rather than offering fruit juices that have a lot of sugar.

3. Eat more fruit and vegetables

Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps children grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
Aim to eat two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day.
Have fresh fruit available as a convenient snack and try to include fruit and vegies in every meal.

4. Switch off the screen and get active

Sedentary or ‘still’ time spent watching TV, surfing online or playing computer games is linked to kids becoming overweight or obese.
Children and young people should spend no more than two hours a day on ‘small screen’ entertainment. Break up long periods of use as often as possible.
Plan a range of active indoor and outdoor games or activities for your children, as alternatives to watching TV or playing on the computer.

5. Eat fewer snacks and select healthier alternatives

Healthy snacks help children and young people meet their daily nutritional needs.
Snacks based on fruit and vegetables, reduced fat dairy products and whole grains are the healthiest choices.
Avoid snacks that are high in sugar – such as chips, cakes and chocolate – which can cause children to put on excess weight.

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Keeping active over the holidays

19/12/2018

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With the holidays just upon us there are many beautiful Dublin walks to keep you fit and active over the holiday period. Check out the walks below for some of the most scenic sights in Dublin and you'll be able to burn off all that extra food we eat during the school holidays!! Have a happy, healthy and active break.

The Botanic Gardens.
Howth Head cliff walk.
Ticknock hill walk.
Along Grand Canal.
Phoenix Park.
The Hell Fire Club.
Masseys forest trail
Bray to Greystones cliff walk.

Shane

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5 tips to be active in Winter!!

3/12/2018

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1. Just because it’s cold outside does not mean you have to stay inside! The key is to bundle up and wrap up. Try a walk or a cycle too.

2. Especially in the winter months, getting out of the house can help prevent cabin fever. Try choosing a location that also incorporates physical activity like a bowling alley or an indoor basketball court.

3. If you’re looking to get your children involved in something fun and consistent, enroll them in a class. It’s a great way to try something new, be active, and meet new people.

4. If you have trouble getting to a class or don’t like group activities, have your kids try a kid-friendly exercise video.

5. Everyday activities can count as exercise too, so long as your children are getting their heart rates up. Things like walking the dog, getting the mail, or going to the park are super.

Enjoy, Shane

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Fruit for our children

26/11/2018

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Why is fruit so good for children?

There are many reasons for everyone to enjoy eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruit. Vegetables and fruit provide important vitamins such as vitamin C and folic acid. This time of the year it is also important to eat citrus fruits like kiwi and oranges. They are packed with vitamin C and boost our immune system, keeping those nasty winter colds away!. Fruits also have other plant substances that are thought important to help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease. Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. None have cholesterol. Fruits are sources of many essential nutrients that are underconsumed, including potassium and dietary fiber. Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Are you getting your 5 a day??

Shane

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We have ACTIVE children

11/10/2018

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This picture warms my heart!! So many of our children use their scooters or bikes to come to school. Well done to everyone, we might need a bigger space very soon!

Shane

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Healthy lunch box

14/9/2018

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Below are a few healthy lunch box ideas to inspire you year-round.

Dairy: the foods in this group are excellent sources of calcium, which is important for strong, healthy bones. Not many other foods in our diet contain as much calcium as dairy foods.

Fruit: fruit provides vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and many phytonutrients (nutrients naturally present in plants), that help your body stay healthy.

Grain foods: high fibre varieties of breads, rice, pasta, noodles, etc. Refined grain products (such as cakes or biscuits) can be high in added sugar, fat and sodium.

Lean meats: Protein builds, maintains, and repairs the tissues in our body. Muscles and organs (such as your heart) are made of protein.

Vegetables, legumes and beans: vegetables can make up a large part of your daily food intake and should be encouraged at every meal (including snack times). They provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and phytonutrients (nutrients naturally present in plants) to help your body stay healthy.

Here's to a healthy year, healthy lunch boxes and healthy children!!

Shane

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How are we doing?

We have started this page as a way of giving bite-size tips towards healthy living! Whether you are already living as a super-healthy family or you are just starting to think about how to get healthier, we hope that you will find some motivation and ideas to make one small change in your daily or weekly life to leave a health-focussed legacy for your child(ren)!

If you have any tips of your own that you would like to share with our community, just reply to any email from us to pass it on - please mark it "FAO Shane" so that it can be easily directed to Shane, who will be doing most of the blogging here!

We would also appreciate feedback on whether this page is useful and whether we should continue it, stop bothering or even take it up a notch!

Benefits of walking to school

The Great Outdoors and Exercise

National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland

Are you active daily....

Staying healthy.....

Keeping active over the holidays

5 tips to be active in Winter!!

Fruit for our children

We have ACTIVE children

Healthy lunch box

How are we doing?

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