Pupils and parents at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School in Newcastle Upon Tyne were in for a healthy start this week as local physiotherapist, Mark Leighton, took over classes to host a Healthy School Day on November 16^th 2010. The initiative is part of a nationwide Move for Health Kids campaign by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), to help parents and teachers get young children’s health back on track.

With figures showing that a third of children in the UK are overweight or obese⁽¹⁾, and only a fifth of parents aware of how much exercise their children should be doing⁽²⁾, the Move for Health Kids campaign will see teams of chartered physiotherapists and dietitians visiting schools across the country to provide expert advice to parents, teachers and children on exercise and nutrition.

Mark Leighton, chartered physiotherapist, from the North East Clinic said:

“Children are now, more than ever, at risk of obesity and the life-threatening illnesses caused by unhealthy lifestyles. With the popularity of sedentary activities - such as social networking and computer games -  teamed with the time constraints today’s busy working parents face and the ‘car culture’ we have adopted, it’s not surprising that children aren’t getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day.”

“But it’s an issue that we can tackle very easily with a little guidance. The CSP’s new leaflet ‘Fit for the Future’ is a fantastic resource for teachers and parents, packed with bite-size hints and tips to keep your children fit and healthy. Just simple changes in lifestyle can make all the difference to your child’s health.”

The North East Clinic, the local physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinic where Mark is based, have supported him in his endeavour to help promote a healthier lifestyle for children in the region. The clinic have drummed up additional support from the internationally recognised rehabilitation company, Thera-Band®, who have donated free supplies and equipment especially for the campaign.

CSP’s Fit for the Future leaflet highlights how regular exercise can help improve concentration, learning and enhance self-esteem but it needs to be teamed with a good balanced diet to provide energy to meet these physical demands. This free resource was developed jointly by the CSP and the British Dietetic Association (BDA) to provide easy-to-follow advice for parents and teachers on exercise and diet.

Top tips from the leaflet include:

• A reminder to break up the required 60 minutes of activity into 15 minute chunks throughout the day
• Suggestions for involving children in household chores or games that are both active and fun 
• Advice on achieving good posture by encouraging children to walk like a soldier or like a ballerina with their shoulders back and head held high

For full advice download the Fit for the Future leaflet from the CSP website (www.csp.org.uk).  Alternatively bulk copies can be ordered using the online order form.

For more information about the event contact:

Mark Leighton

mark.leighton@northeastclinic.com

0844 576 1576

Participating School:

St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

Heaton Road

Heaton

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE6 5HN

0191 265 5076

Or contact the CSP Press Office 07786 332197 or 07786 546095.