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Getting Fit With Furry Friends
How the Family Pet Can Get Your Kids in Shape
By Teri Brown
Michelle Pearson of Leaf River, Ill., is a mom who credits the family dog, a border collie, for keeping her son so physically fit. "Border collies are extreme high-energy dogs," says Pearson. "They are working dogs and love physical activity even when they're not working. We live on a farm, so Dickens is really Sean's only companion when he's at home unless he has a play date. If they're not playing ball or Frisbee, they will just run together, one chasing the other. Sometimes Dickens will instinctively 'herd' Sean, and he'll try to get away from her, which will involve a lot of running – this is one of their favorite games."
And making exercise fun is one of the main goals of parents who want their children to lead a more active lifestyle.
Dr. Caroline J. Cederquist, a board certified family physician and bariatric physician, believes fun is key, especially for children who are already overweight. "Walking the dog may not be interpreted by kids as exercise but rather as fun," says Dr. Cederquist. "In this day and age, kids are saving steps at every turn; they ride in cars instead of walking. A dog cannot be taken for a drive to do his business. He needs to walk and exercise. If this is the child's responsibility, your child will become more active without even noticing it."
A sedentary lifestyle is one of the main causes of childhood obesity. According to Dr. Cederquist, the average high school graduae will watch 15,000 to 18,000 hours of TV while spending only 12,000 hours in school. The number of hours spent watching TV is the strongest predictor of obesity in adolescents.
