What I did during my summer vacation: HealthCamp

September 7, 2009

As a kid, during summer my friends and I would head off to swim camp, horse camp, art camp and various other camps. As an adult, my friends and I head off to HealthCamp.
HealthCamps are part of the BarCamp phenomenon and take place all over the world. They are ‘user-generated’ with the focus on participation [...]

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7 simple tips to grow active, playful kids

August 7, 2009

Here are seven simple tips (one for every day of the week) to foster happy, healthy kids. A special shout-out to listeners of Radio Disney Philly who caught my interview on the Backyard Show – these are especially for you!

Lead. By example. You are a role model for your kids. If they see you plop [...]

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Americans Jump Online for Exercise Information

August 2, 2009

More than half of all American adult internet users have looked online for exercise or fitness information, according to a new Pew report, The Social Life of Health Information. As shown in the graph above, that’s an astounding 38% of all American adults. The Pew Internet/California Healthcare Foundation survey, authored by Susannah Fox and Sydney [...]

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Michael O’Shea, Parade Fitness Editor, on Play

July 19, 2009

“For years when I got in an exercise rut and got bored or tired of my workouts I would always take time off from my normal workouts and play basketball. I would get a ball and go shoot like when I was a kid. I would find myself playing, sweating, and not counting the minutes.”
Those [...]

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100+ Top Play Resources

July 5, 2009

There’s growing recognition that play is not just, well, child’s play. Mounting evidence shows play has a crucial role in cognitive, physiological, behavioral and social development and adaptation at all ages and stages of life.
In essence, we need to take play seriously. Play has been recognized as a right of every child by the United [...]

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Nanci Hellmich from USA Today on Retro Play

June 24, 2009

“If you’re looking for ways to get your children to move more this summer, show them the games you played as a kid, such as chasing lightning bugs, jumping rope, playing kickball, flying a kite or using a hula hoop. In this age of high-tech entertainment, call it retro play.”
That’s the opening of a great [...]

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Choreographing Cells: Dance Dance Evolution

June 15, 2009

What do you get when choreographers interpret scientific papers that interpret our cells choreography? A Science Dance Match Up Challenge.
In a challenge recently held by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), four professional choreographers were paired with four scientists to create dances based on peer-reviewed scientific research. Individuals were invited to read [...]

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Carbohydrates and sports performance: rinse, repeat, win?

May 24, 2009

Can simply swishing a carbohydrate-containing solution around in your mouth improve short-duration exercise performance? Yes, according to intriguing new research.
It’s been well documented that ingesting carbohydrates during exercise can improve athletic performance in events lasting for several hours or more. But in events lasting for only an hour, the carbohydrates you suck down aren’t needed [...]

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What can pro cyclists teach us about pain?

May 15, 2009

“Next time you’re in a car going 50 mph, strip down to your underwear and jump out the door. That’s what it’s like to crash in professional bike racing.”
That was a promo for the 2008 Tour de France from Versus. I’m an avid cycling fan and lately I’ve been tuning in to watch the grueling [...]

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Tired of the treadmill? Get out and play instead

May 3, 2009

A big thank you to Megan Brooks for her Reuters Health article on my talk “The Power of Play” at the ACSM Health & Fitness Summit. It’s great to be interviewed by someone who understands the power of play.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Tired of the same old exercise routine? Get out and play instead, [...]

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