THE ABC’S OF LIFELONG HEALTH
Keri-Ellen Walcer is a children’s fitness professional and the mother of 4 young children.  She is also the founder of MusiGo Inc. and creator of the Wee Wigglers preschool fitness programs.  These programs can be found in many Canadian communities. www.weewigglers.com

 When my daughter was born, I was flooded with emotion.  I looked into her eyes and felt a deep sense of responsibility.  In the days following her birth I was overwhelmed by thoughts of all the things in this world that could hurt her and I wanted to protect her from them. The frightening fact is that we are living in a time where our children have a shorter life expectancy than us . The culprit: sedentary lifestyle choices leading to poor health outcomes, such as obesity. Did you know that in Canada 21% of toddlers are obese?

That’s why when I started preparing my daughter for school by teaching her the alphabet, I also taught her the ABC’s of physical literacy to give her the foundation for lifelong health and fitness. These skills are classified in three different categories agility, balance and coordination. Giving our little ones the recommended 90 minutes of daily physical activity takes effort but here are some simple activities that you can start to incorporate today.

Agility: Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick
How many times per day do you find yourself saying, “be careful”, “don’t run” and “slow down”? Try not to say it so often. Agility is defined as being able to change the body’s position quickly and efficiently.  We need to give our children opportunities to practice this skill. Try getting out a flash light and dim the ceiling lights in your house. Put on a little mood music and flash circles of light on the floor, ask your child to jump on the light beams as you quickly move them from one place to another.  Even young crawlers will enjoy this activity by trying to grab the lights on the floor.

Balance “I’m a little teapot”
There are two kinds of balance, one is standing still and the other is while moving. Balance is an important skill to develop and does not happen by itself. Games such as hop scotch, hopping on one foot and two feet are great. Another fun way to develop balance is through dance and yoga activities. Do you remember the rhyme I’m a little teapot? ”I’m a little teapot short and stout”, stand with your child, feet wide apart, “Here is my handle, here is my spout”, put one hand on your hip and one hand stretched out,”When I get all steamed up hear me shout” on the words “tip me over and pour me out”, gently help your child to tip one way while bringing the opposite leg off the floor, practice this on both sides.

Co-Ordination- Wee Wiggle!
Co-ordination is about being able to control all of your body parts while doing a variety of activities. One of the all time most effective ways to promote overall body co-ordination is through dance and music. Giving your child opportunities to shake a rattle, or beat a tambourine while dancing to some favourite tunes is fun, easy and inspirational. On a cold or cloudy day, why not gather in the living room and have a dance party?

Time Together
Fitness is a family affair, you are your child’s first teacher, and they will follow you for better or worse. When you find meaningful ways to keep yourself and your children active, invite your friends, join together to move your community into better health. You will find that you can inspire each other and have a great time doing it.  

It is not too late for us to reverse the trend of childhood obesity and to give our children a healthy foundation for a long life. Now you know your ABC’s, next time will you move with me?

Mom and Baby Booty Camp
By: Keri-Ellen Walcer founder Wee Wigglers

The best way to break up the monotony of a workout is to include your baby! With the recent British release of physical activity guidelines for children under five, we are looking at ways to give our babies and ourselves a little more active time.  Here are a few suggestions that will help your child reach important developmental milestones while you tone and tighten.

Push up Peek a Boo
Place your baby on the floor on his or her tummy, lie down on your tummy in a push up position facing your child. You can do a traditional push up or modify it by placing your knees on the floor. Smile at your baby and while lifting yourself up say, “Peek a Boo”.  Your baby’s eyes and head will naturally follow you as you go up and down. This exercise will not only strengthen your upper body, it will also increase the back, neck and arm muscles of your baby, and help to avoid infant flathead syndrome.

Belly Bouncer 
Sit on the floor with your knees together and feet flat on the floor. Place baby’s tummy against your lower legs.  Wrap your arms around baby or hold baby’s hands and gently roll onto your back, lift your feet up so your lower legs are perpendicular to the floor.  While on your back gently bounce baby with small up and down motions of your legs. This exercise is great for your abdominal muscles and will increase baby’s balance. It is also a great way to sooth a crying baby. 

On the Ball
Remember those old pony knee bounces that your Uncle used to sing? Pull out your favourite chant or make one up of your own. Only now instead of sitting passively on a chair, you are going to sit on your fitness ball to bounce your baby. Baby’s love to bounce to the rhythm of music, try using a tune that mixes fast and slow. You might include “trotting” up and down slowly, “walking” smoothly swaying your hips side to side and “galloping” bouncing up and down quickly. This activity will strengthen both you and your baby’s core muscles. Bouncing is also a precursor to walking. 

Forget the pain, this workout is all gain for you and your child, your baby’s smiles and giggles will melt away any muscle twinges that you feel. Plus you are being a great role model of healthy activity for your child. Together you can strengthen your abs and arms, which of course will lead to better hugs!