Goals for fitness
ONE i n four boys and 33 per cent of girls aged between two and 19 is overweight or obese, a worrying survey reveals. The answer, say experts, is to ensure you provide your children with a healthy, lowfat diet. Cut out carbs (items like chips should be an occasional treat) and serve plenty of vegetables and fruit.
Just as important is to get your family involved in regular physical activity. There is nothing like cheering on your offspring as they do their best on school sports day. My mother, a martyr to hay fever, did not allow her allergy to stop her taking part in the parents’ egg and spoon race and loudly encouraging me, as I invariably came close to a gallant last in the hundred-yards dash.
Despite my miserable failure as an athlete, I — and most of my classmates — loved sports day. Yet today the number of youngsters taking part in school sport is plummeting. According to the Smith Institute, an independent think tank, the hoped-for Olympic legacy from the 2012 games has not lived up to expectations. The institute found that sports provision in schools had worsened and most teachers it spoke to reported that government cuts had led to a drop in school PE lessons.
The Jewish community, however, is well served by its own sporting organisations. Movements such as Maccabi GB engage young people each week in free PE lessons at afterschool and lunchtime clubs. There are regular tournaments between Jewish schools, in which more than 3,000 primary and secondary pupils take part, says Matthew Travers, Maccabi’s head of sport.
In Arkley, Barnet, Maccabi London Brady — formed from a merger between London Maccabi and Brady Maccabi — has a superb, purpose-built sports centre, including football pitches, tennis courts, netball courts and cricket pitches. It is used by thousands of sports enthusiasts aged three to 18. Maccabi GB recently became the
first
J e w i s h charity to be granted the Inspire Mark, the London 2012 badge for sports t o u r n a m e n t s and clubs. Chief executive Martin Berliner says: “Sport plays such an important part in the lives of young people… and we are proud to be engaging such a large proportion of young people in our community through the school sports programme.”
PE kit has also come a long way since the unflattering vests and shorts of yesteryear. Shorso UK, for instance, specialises in modest sportswear for Jewish schoolgirls and women. The garments are designed to provide optimum comfort and inspire the wearer to be active, “without compromise”.
The Black Shorso is perfect for activities such as swimming, gymnastics and aerobics. It provides full body coverage and a streamlined fit with maximum support. Sizes are small (women’s 6 to 8) , medium (10 -to 12); large (14 to 16) and ages five to six, seven to eight, nine to 10 and 11 to 12.
The company’s black s ki r t , for swimming, gymnastics and aerobics, features an adjustable elastic waistband and is easy to pop on when you need extra coverage. It comes in all the girls’ siz- es mentioned above.
The Black Swim Bob is an ingenious alternative to an ordinary swimming hat, which Orthodox women may appreciate. It features an elastic scrunchie “tail”, which allows you to conveniently tie and cover your hair. The stretch material adjusts to head size, for a perfect fit. The Swim Bob is durable; it will not tear or slip off during physical activities. See more at www.shorso.co.uk
“The summer is a great no-pressure time,” says Mary Lou Gavin, medical editor for the website KidsHealth. Some youngsters insist that they do not enjoy sport, but what bothers them is not the activity as such, but the pressure of competition, she says. So you need to supply something non-threatening at which they can succeed. Parents can inspire their children by trying a range of sports with them — even those as young as three need about an hour of moderate to vigorous exercise each day.
One great way to boost the fitness of older children is by joining them on a hike. A personal favourite is through Epping Forest which is not only visually fascinating, but also has thousands of trees for shade. Both children and adults should drink plenty of fluids if exercising, so always carry bottles of water.