Learning from Preschoolers!

Just yesterday, I had the unique and incredible opportunity to present a short lesson about healthy choices to a group of Pre-K students in the Lew-Port school district, with the assistance of my great clients Nicole Mombrea and Natalie Talarico, as well as the children's instructors. We quizzed the class about what food items they could consider to be healthy choices, and what ideas they had on ways to keep their bodies strong and healthy with physical activity. The response from these young kids was simply phenomenal, and I think the experience can teach my grown-up clients a thing or two as well.

During the first section of the presentation, when asked what healthy food choices the class could think of, I did not get a single bad response. All 15 children present raised their hand, some more than once (one absentee, but I am 100% confident he would know the answers, as his mom is a ChrisFit kettlebeller!). This simply blew my mind! I think the numerous responses of great healthy eating ideas is both a testament to the great job their teachers and parents have done in educating them, and a bit of a reminder to some of the adults I know that eating healthy isn't rocket science. The group (of PRESCHOOLERS) knew that a healthy nutrition plan should include choices like milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables, nuts, oatmeal and yogurt. To them, this is simple. Yet to adults it seems to be an insurmountable task sometimes. Kids know to eat their fruits and veggies. They like eggs, and chicken, and yogurt. I think the rest of us can learn something from that, and stop making clean eating a mountain out of a molehill.

But I digress.

The kids then answered my question about being active, and answered it very well. They made great suggestions like running, pushups, lunges (yes, a 4 year old not only suggested, but likes lunges - what's your excuse?), jumping rope, playing sports, lifting weights, jumping jacks, and "punching lessons" AKA boxing. Yet again, they made it simple. They knew that to grow up fit and healthy, they should exercise their bodies and break a sweat. But the real kicker...they were EXCITED to get up and exercise!! That's right, Pre-K students will hop up off their comfy rug and voluntarily exercise! They literally shouted in excitement! My little proteges did a number of warm-up movements and stretches, then a quick bout of jumping jacks, squats (aptly demonstrated by Nicole's daughter, Claire..see a correlation - mommy exercises, child likes to exercise from early age!?), burpees (which they LOVED and had a blast getting to jump around inside), situps, and planking. Not only was it apparent that the human bodies mechanics are FAR better in youth (suggesting that early teaching of proper mechanics for exercise could alleviate A LOT of the mobility disasters I see walking through the gym door), but it is simply amazing to see the unbridled enthusiasm that youth carries for physical activity. Their teacher, Ms. Talarico, text messaged me later in the day and said that the mini-workout was their favorite part of the day and had them buzzing all afternoon.

What can we learn as adults from all this? We can take away from this a reminder that exercise can and SHOULD be fun. Our society seems to have attached a negative stigma to exerting ourselves, and that's simply a tremendous shame. These young children have not been jaded against sweat yet though, so they got to exercise, they didn't have to exercise. Can you imagine if we all looked at it this way? The gym as a treat and the highlight of our day? Imagine how much harder we as a whole might work in the gym if we grew up looking at it as a gift rather than a burden. Imagine how much more healthy our society might be if eating well was simple from the get go, and doing burpees was a source of amusement! Well, why not change our way of looking at it for the better, starting RIGHT NOW!? Everyone take a step back when you read this, and look at your time in the kitchen, the store, and the gym, through the eyes of a 4 year old child. This could be a revolution. This could simplify the process of getting and staying fit. This could literally change your life.

You get to squat tomorrow. Or you get to have a serving of broccoli. Or you get to eat your protein.

Mull that over while you argue with yourself about having a glass of wine. I can assure you those springy, excited, healthy kids aren't having one.

Our presentation ended with a short review of the healthy choices discussed, and a 30 day challenge issued to the class. I gave them the opportunity to get a prize at the end of 30 days, simply by making one healthy food choice and picking one physical activity each day. They were simply thrilled to commit to the challenge, and I promised to go back and check on them when they had completed it. They seemed excited for a prize, but I'm fairly certain that the prospect of getting to hop up and do some jumping around again was all they needed as a motivator!

I'd like to thank Nicole and Natalie for their assistance, and Ms. Talarico, and Ms. Miller for inviting us to their classroom and sharing part of the day to help the children of our community learn how to grow up healthy and fit!

I'll keep you posted on the results of the challenge!

-Steve Decker