Thomas loves to play video games. He plays every day after his homework and most of the day on Saturday. He spent Sundays with his family and they often went on walks or to the park.

During recess he noticed he was not able to keep up with other students during tag or dodge ball and often became winded very quickly.

Thomas's parents wanted to help him, but they weren't sure where to begin. A good rule of thumb is a child should spend 20 minutes of physical activity for every 3 hours of screen time.

Playing outside is the best form of physical activity because children can run and be loud and get all of their energy out! They receive the vitamin D they need from the sun and fresh air for their lungs!

Sometimes outdoor play is not possible due to weather or air quality. Kids can still get their activity on indoors as well! Some ideas are dancing, simon says, yoga, acting out a play, hide and seek, or a fun scavenger hunt!

Being thin does not equate to being healthy. Even if a child meets their height and weight requirements, they could still not be getting enough physical activity. Signing up for an activity of your choice could be a fun family activity and promote your child to choose to be more active instead of being sedentary.

After speaking with the teacher and using the resources given to them on classes offered by the city Thomas's parents feel much more prepared and excited to get Thomas and the whole family moving and staying healthy!

They have decided to walk in the evenings for thirty minutes after dinner and limit screen time for Thomas to a few hours per day. They are already noticing an improvement in their and Thomas's health and are enjoying the quality time their family are spending together.