“Winter family fun: Snowshoeing 101 advice for kids & adults from an expert - Examiner” plus 1 more |
| Winter family fun: Snowshoeing 101 advice for kids & adults from an expert - Examiner Posted: 10 Jan 2011 08:25 AM PST Snowshoeing is a fun winter sport that almost everyone can do. It burns up tons of calories and can be as strenuous or relaxed as you want. Even better, snowshoeing can be a sport the whole family can partake in together without buying lots of gear! A snowshoeing enthusiast and novice myself, I went to Phil Savignano - dad of two, Junior Nordic ski coach, avid snowshoer for about 45 years and author of the The Basic Essentials of Snowshoeing (and senior tourism specialist for the Maine Office of Tourism)- to ask about the increasingly popular sport of snowshoeing to get some basics... Phil: Snowshoeing is an "any time" sport that can be enjoyed for 20 minutes to overnight excursions. Snow conditions are rarely a limiting factor like skiing so the weather can't be used as an excuse for not getting out. It's easy to burn 800 to 1000 calories in and hour so it is great exercise when your time is limited. If you add a pair of ski or trekking poles to your gear you can get a "full-body" workout. Because the pace is slower than cross country skiing and the technique isn't as demanding, there is more time to relax and enjoy the scenery, follow tracks in the woods and let the mind wander. Phil: I started snowshoeing as a kid to pack ski trails. I still snowshoe nearly every day with my dogs, they love to run the trails I've packed out. Frequently, I put on a headlamp and go snowshoeing when I get home from work in the evening. Phil: Yes, we all love the fresh winter air. We gave my daughter and her husband new snowshoes for Christmas. My son likes to walk the dogs in the woods with us. These days he runs on his snowshoes for the exercise. Phil: It's pretty easy to started, the only specialized equipment you need is the snowshoes. If you run, hike or cross country ski, the clothing is pretty transferable. I do recommend using hiking boots unless you are racing. Phil: It's walking and getting used to really big feet in the snow. We used to play a lot of tag make up obstacle courses with the kids to get comfortable maneuvering in the snow. Phil: If they can walk, they can snowshoe. Don't start out with a big hike – put on snowshoes and build a snowman in the back yard, make a maze with the track and play follow-the-leader. Keep it fun for the kids and you won't need to bribe them to go. All of our hikes had the same destination – home with a smile on everyone's face. Phil: Snowshoes that fit are the most important piece of gear. For me, binding are number one, they should be easy to get into , adjust to your boots, stay tight on the snowshoe and allow you to walk normally – kids and adults. The biggest mistake I see people make is buying snowshoes that are too big. Unless you are breaking trails in deep mountain powder or backpacking all the time, get the smallest pair recommended for your weight. Dress in layers because you will heat up quickly once your on the trail. Wear hiking boots for a solid footing on the snowshoes. If you break trail a lot, gaiters will keep your feet dry. Phil: I wrote the book for folks that just want to get some fresh air and a little exercise and who might go out for a few hours or a day hike. I wanted beginners to see they should spend more time snowshoeing than reading. Get free email updates of all the new stories posted in this column by clicking SUBSCRIBE EMAIL above this story. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Why should kids drink milk - Washington Post Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:40 AM PST Your parents do lots of great things for you. They put clothes on your back, food in your stomach and clean up your snotty tissues when you are sick. They help with homework, cart you all over town and buy you cool stuff on your birthday. So why do they spoil everything by making you eat and drink things you don't like? The answer to this question is simple. They want to keep you healthy. As kids get older, two things happen that may reduce their desire to drink milk. First, more sugary drinks, including juice and soda, become more appealing. Second, milk tastes best when served icy cold, and cold milk is not always available outside the home. And whether you like it or not, milk is part of a healthful diet. In order to grow and stay well, your body needs protein, carbohydrates, fats and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Milk is an excellent source of protein, calcium and Vitamin D. Although you can get plenty of protein from other foods, it's hard to get all the calcium and Vitamin D you need without drinking milk. (Cheese and yogurt have plenty of calcium, but they typically do not contain Vitamin D.) At this point, you might be asking yourself: What's the big deal about calcium? Most people know calcium is essential for strong bones. What people don't know, however, is that calcium is used in every cell of your body. If an alien landed on Earth and shot you with a ray gun that sucked the calcium out of your body, you would die instantly. So since lots of earthlings do not drink milk, why don't people keel over every day from a lack of calcium? Well, it turns out that the body is often smarter than we are. When you were a baby, you drank gallons and gallons of breast milk or formula. Most of the calcium you ingested ended up making your bones very strong. The body is constantly replacing old calcium in bones with new calcium. So if you don't have enough calcium in your diet, your cells won't immediately suffer, because the body uses the calcium that's been stored in your bones. But if you don't replace old calcium with new calcium, your bones will become weaker over time. The same thing would happen with a bank account. Let's say you have $500 in a savings account. If you keep taking money out and never put any back, your account eventually will be empty. A similar thing can happen with the calcium stored in your body. Your bones won't turn to dust, but they can get weaker; and weaker bones are more likely to break if a person gets injured. So consider drinking milk three times a day. If you're allergic to cow's milk, try "milk" made from soy, rice or almonds. If that doesn't sound appealing, drink calcium-enriched orange juice, eat vegetables rich in calcium such as cooked broccoli and spinach or take a calcium and Vitamin D supplement. If you want to learn more about calcium and bone health, ask your parents if you can go to www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/milk_bone_health.cfm . -Howard Bennett Howard Bennett, a Washington pediatrician, is the author "Lions Aren't Scared of Shots." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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