PORTLAND – Our Oregon children will sleep better and lose weight or obesity by simply being outdoors more through self-absorbing outdoor exercise or adventures day by day.
LET’S MOVE .GOV can add more insight!
Ironically, our grandkids think this is something new & fun for them.
The cover photo shows a 1980s family camping in a forest; but even evening walks or half hour nature walks, bike rides or backyard swing sets or “nature gardens attractions” will greatly improve our children’s health immediately.
As grandparents, we raised our kids outdoors and the next generation prefers to stay inside focused upon movies, video-games and such. Thus, our grandchildren follow their parent’s role model and stay inside much more than we elders did growing up with limited access to movies, video-games and even a TV or Computer!
Our grandkids can’t even fathom life without computers or TV! What did we do as kids????
Since we raised our children well; we can’t abandon them now. They seem to be lost in corporate commercial chasing ever bigger and better gadgets “They must have. Help your younger generation “Go Take A Hike!” Your grandchildren will be glad you did!
HERE IS WHY:
1). KIDS:
“Many U.S. parents are surprised to learn that their children suffer from persistent sleep deprivation – as much as two hours per day. There are numerous reasons: busy schedules, addiction to television and electronic games and lack of knowledge about the amount needed. The reality is American children are spending an average of 7 hour and 38 minutes per day staring at electronic media entertainment. Building some outdoor time into your child’s schedule will help them get a better night’s sleep and receive the associated physical, emotional and cognitive benefits. “
- “The Three Ways Outdoor Time Improves Your Child’s Sleep
- 1. Sleep-inducing natural sun light
- Regular doses of bright natural light help children stay more alert during the day, elevate their moods and make it easier to sleep at night. Exposure to outdoor light in the morning actually helps set their body clock for a better and earlier night’s sleep.
- 2. The soothing dimensions of more time in nature
- Nature has a way of comforting children. It can take away stress and be a haven for kids who are otherwise feeling the pressures of school, family, and social demands Research has found that children who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) get significant relief from their symptoms and are able to concentrate better if they spend some time outdoors.
- 3. Outdoor exercise is better for children than indoors
- Exercise can release soothing endorphins into the blood stream and can help with the production of melatonin. Outdoor play encourages activities such as climbing, jumping, running and tumbling that promote muscle fitness and flexibility. Research shows that moderate to vigorous physical activity in child care settings increased from 1% indoors to as much as 11% outdoors. When outdoor play was child led, the amount of time further increased to 17%.”
The National Wildlife Federation funded an extensive research study this year to
Explore “Outdoor time helps kids get a good night’s sleep: report”
You can download this America Research report here:
http://nwf.visibli.com/share/B5neX0
“When kids spend time outdoors, they sleep better. Although that’s something your grandpa may have said over the years, there’s now a study that proves he was right. The report and parent guide, “Green Time for Sleep Time” from the National Wildlife Federation, says between racing around on tight schedules and staring at electronic media for hours a day, the majority of kids are sleep deprived. It says lack of play time outdoors is a big part of the problem. Today’s indoor kids are over-stimulated by television, handheld games and other electronic devices. To get a good night’s sleep, they… “
A Western Australian research suggests:
City kids 'missing out on nature'
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/11501649/city-kids-missing-out-on-nature/
“A growing disconnection between city children and nature threatens disastrous consequences for the State's environment, one of WA's top scientists has warned.
Ric How, a senior curator at the WA Museum, said children in urban environments were becoming oblivious to the natural world?
Dr How, who is also an adjunct professor at the school of anatomy and human biology at the University of WA, said the issue was a significant challenge to biodiversity education.
He said this held serious consequences for children's health but also environmental conservation because the next generation could not protect and appreciate what they did not understand.”
“Citing the work of American author Richard Louv to describe the problem as "nature deficit disorder", Dr How said that it was being fuelled by a growing reluctance among parents to let their children go outside?
"I think what we are doing is bringing up a generation which doesn't appreciate how significant the natural environment is," Dr How said.
"The modern generation is very technologically geared and as such is becoming less and less appreciative of what happens outside the home environment or, in fact, the built environment.
"Consequently, we don't spend the time going out for a walk in the bush. And how many parents take their kids camping?
"That part really does mean there is this break from an understanding of how natural processes work."
The next generation of adult may carless about Nature that keeps us ALIVE.
Currently our U.S Congress ignores our natural resource problems in favor of bailing out "bank too big to fail"????
2). YOUND ADULTS:
1. Life 'too stressful' for young people
“Life is becoming more stressful than carefree for young people.
A study of 1500 Australians has found that one in eight adults has severe stress, with those aged 18 to 25 more stressed and depressed than any other age group.
And to ease their stress, people are turning to comfort food, drinking and shopping.
The executive director of the Australian Psychological Society, Lyn Littlefield, said the study found the main sources of stress for young people were money, work and relationships.
"I think it's because of uncertainty, the lack of predictability in their lives, and the fact that change occurs more rapidly now than in the past," Professor Littlefield said.”
“"Older people are probably less stressed because they've been through lots of life experiences and come to some level of adjustment and are more philosophical."
Nearly one-third of all those surveyed identified work as the main source of their stress. Those under 25 had the lowest levels of job satisfaction and felt undervalued by their employers. But the biggest source of stress for all age groups was money, followed by health issues and family problems.
More than 60 per cent said they tucked into comfort food when they were stressed, while nearly half took to the shops for retail therapy. Forty per cent sought solace in alcohol. "But they all found those things were less than effective," Prof Littlefield said.
"I feel they are never good ways of coping with stress."
The peaceful Portland OCCUPY Wall Street protestors know something is wrong in Oregon & America and, we now know in Western Australia too!
Of course taking a daily hike won’t change our world’s deeper mindset of “Corporate greed is ok”.
Corporations are not our problem really. It is the mindset that anyone can make a fast buck any way they can and the fact our current government does not contest the desires of people with lots of money and good expensive lawyers. These elected congressmen & hired bureaucrats have completely, lately lost sight of their original formal oath as a public servant to protect the U.S. Constitution and WE THE PEOPLE.
This author still remembers his federal U.S. Forest Service Oath back in 1970s.
You personally would not let an obvious tick suck your family dog’s blood; but big city, hidden crooks & parasites have a hey day today.
Parents, not police, will solve this problem bastardizing our grandchildren’s grandchildren’s future.
One would think our Congress would honor our parents; but they have a marriage tax penalty???
I remember as a kid, a MacDonald’s restaurant opening up and the Ronald MacDonald clown TV commercials were talking me to ask my parents for a hamburger with fries in early 1950 –’52 as I recalled.
Still Macdonald still is allowed to advertise in ways that separate adults from their kids or makes a family budget a contest or competition of who gets more – the wage earner or the kids? If Dad doesn’t buy me a burger he doesn’t love me??????
Sadly and seriously Readers, We are talking about losing an entire world generation – and maybe two!
We SENIORS wonder why TV news is covered with bad news about OUTLANDISH family murders, meth heads stealing FROM ANYONE for a drug fix and YOUTH gangs shooting up Portland to protect their Drug selling territories.
Moreover, our national education testing shows our children’s history, math, science and reading scores are dropping here in America –THE GREATEST NATION ON EARTH!
Grandparents are ESPECIALLY QUALIFIED & now commissioned to lead the charge in helping a notion Corporate America doesn’t mention in its CONSUME TV Ads. America is for American families and not corporate greed. We Americans are not naturally consuming sheep for fattening corporate pocket books.
However, World-wide humans in total are asking why so much stress?
“Gaining justice and freedom is possible, whether it involves struggling against tyranny and for a government that respects human rights, supporting organizations that work to free modern-day slaves; or claiming our God-given right to be free and healthy, refusing to accept ideas or habits that would limit this freedom. Our starting point can be “discerning the rights of man.”
“Protests are not just an Arab happening. Mostly peaceful protests for human rights have occurred in Latin America and parts of Asia, where people have demanded their freedom. Sometimes protests are aimed at economic issues. Recent examples include the mass demonstrations in Greece against budget cuts, and the “Occupy,” or “99 percent,” movement that has expanded from a few dozen protesters on Wall Street to people protesting in scores of cities across the United States.
Perhaps inspired by Theodore Parker, a Unitarian minister and abolitionist in the 1800s who used almost the same words, Martin Luther King Jr. said: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
Long story short readers, keep calm and directed even if the world is crazy now and Nature has a calming influence on the human spirit –naturally.
Think of our world as a raging forest fire that will eventually clean the weedy forest floor.
Remember to keep your family safe and moving towards the light and hike outdoors. The sun comes up every day and Congress can’t monkey with that!
Reader please, “Go Take a hike with your family TODAY & TOMORROW”!
We all need to stop this downward spiral to make a better world for the next generation; as Americans traditionally always did.
Conflict can be good, like childbirth pangs, something good can be born.
OTHER PEOPLE”S INSIGHTS TO CONSIDER:
When I can't handle events, I let them handle themselves.
Remember when life's path is steep to keep your mind even.
Horace
Roman lyric poet & satirist (65 BC - 8 BC)
A contented mind is the greatest blessing a man can enjoy in this world.
Joseph Addison
A lot of Thanksgiving days have been ruined by not carving the turkey in the kitchen.
Kin Hubbard
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© Copyright 2011. Dave Sandersfeld.
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