From You can increase your kids' physical activity and decrease sedentary behavior with the following simple switches.
- Remove TVs and computers from children's bedrooms. According to Kaiser Family Foundation research, two-thirds of children ages 8 and older have a TV in their bedroom, half have a video game, and one-third a VCR. Almost half of children live in a house where the TV is on at all times, even when no one is watching it. According to research done at Johns Hopkins University, a child's weight increases with the number of hours he or she watches television.
- Place active toys such as jump ropes, mini-trampolines, Sit 'n Spin, and hula hoops within easy access in kids' bedrooms or playrooms.
- Require that your kids exercise during commercial breaks.
- Put a curfew on electronics. For instance, nothing that requires batteries or electricity may be used until 5 p.m. on school days.
- Set a tit-for-tat rule. For every 30 minutes of television watching or Internet surfing, your child must do 30 minutes of physical activity.