Program Description

Program Description

Team Fit Goes to School is an after school healthy living program developed specially for children ages 9 to 13.  Which focuses on three areas:  

Nutrition

·         Children will discover new ideas for healthy meals and snacks

·         Children will increase their knowledge of how to eat healthy

·         Children will learn portion control and how to substitute unhealthy food items for similar, healthier choices.

Increasing healthy eating opportunities and providing information about proper nutrition and portion size has been shown to have a profound impact on a child’s diet, incidence of obesity, and health care spending.  Rather than telling children how to eat, Team Fit Goes to School program will encourage participation and showing them how to make healthier choices and allowing them to practice making healthier choices is key.

                Behavior Modification

·         Children will understand they feels better, especially related to eating and physical activity.

·         The program will show children how to set themselves up for success

·         Children will learn goal setting techniques

·         Children will learn ways to increase their self-esteem and how to understand healthy relationships

Behavior modification strategies ensure that healthy eating and physical activity become a lasting lifestyle change.

Physical Activity

·         Children will increase their physical activity over the course of the program

·         Children will learn fun ways to be physically active

·         Children will increase their knowledge about the importance of physical activity.

·         Children will increase self-efficacy for physical activity

Increasing physical activity opportunities for children has significant effects on cognition, academic achievement, fitness levels, weight and overall health.  Increasing a child’s enjoyment and attitude toward physical activity has been shown to increase physical activity participation, including predicting future physical activity levels as an adult.  Time will be spent on how to do activities on their own (i.e. at home without equipment), and how to increase physical activity using small step approaches.

This 3-1 competitive approach teaches children how incorporating healthy eating and physical activities into their daily routine will improve their mental and physical health.