Remember being a child on during the summer or on the playground? Those were some of the best times, playing an assortment of outdoor games. My favorites were knockout, foursquare, hop-scotch, capture-the-flag, and man-hunt. I didn’t know it at the time, but these games were an essential part of my social, emotional, and physical development. Its too bad we can’t just get a group of friends together on a Saturday to bring back the oldies. Or can we?
What I mean is, its important to play… that is, participate in any activity, especially if it involves being outdoors. You can dance, wrestle, roughhouse, run, jump, hop, skip and throw. These movements are just as good as a gym for lowering blood pressure, decreasing heart rate, reducing stress, and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Turns out, exercise doesn’t have to be mindless running on a treadmill, or measuring up next to a gorilla in the gym. It should be inspiring, energising and, most importantly, fun! So gather your kids in the backyard for soccer or call up some old friends for frisbee or a walk. in the end don’t just sit there, get up and Play something!!
Yours in health,
Dr. Eric O’Connell