Come September, football player Matthew Stafford will face off against some of the toughest defenders in the National Football League (NFL). But this spring, the new Detroit Lions quarterback is tackling a different foe—childhood obesity.
Detroit Lions rookie Matthew Stafford tells kids to get moving.
Stafford and some other NFL rookies recently huddled up with hundreds of kids in New York City for the NFL Play 60 program. That program encourages children and teens to pledge to be active for at least 60 minutes every day.
The rookies and kids warmed up with passing and catching drills. Then they teamed up for lively games of flag football. But the day's biggest touchdown came when the athletes gave out their best advice for all kids: Get moving!
More than 9 million U.S. children ages 6 to 19 are overweight or obese. Extra pounds can put kids at risk for health issues such as diabetes and heart problems. Plus, studies have shown that overweight children are more likely than other kids to be overweight as adults.
But there's an easy way to help rewrite your body's game plan, the athletes say. Move around for at least 60 minutes every day. "Get outside and be active!" urges Michael Oher of the Baltimore Ravens. "Don't sit inside playing video games!"
Baltimore Ravens rookie Michael Oher gives chase to one lucky kid.
NFL Network analyst and former football player Deion Sanders agrees. "PlayStation is not active," he says. "You know that, right? We want you to get outside and have a good time."
Don't like football? No problem! You can get moving in countless other ways, NFL Play 60 experts say. Run through a sprinkler in your backyard. Race a friend up a hill. Toss around a Frisbee. Have a jump rope contest. You and a pal can even take turns playing fetch, like a dog would!
NFL rookies Brian Orakpo of the Washington Redskins and Eugene Monroe of the Jacksonville Jaguars like to stay fit by lifting weights. In fact, Orakpo can bench-press 515 pounds! "It just comes with a lot of hard work I've put in in the weight room," he told Weekly Reader.
As for Stafford, he stayed fit by mixing things up when he was young. "The number-one thing I did [was] try to play every sport I could [and] have fun with it," he told Weekly Reader. "Just have some fun being a kid. That's what it's all about."
Critical Thinking:
Why might NFL players want kids to be healthy?
Get Writing:Keep a journal tracking how much exercise you get every day for a week. At the end of the week, ask yourself: How did I do? How can I add more exercise? Create a fitness goal, such as being able to do five push-ups in a row. See how long it takes to achieve that goal.
analyst: someone with special knowledge or skill who studies a subject, such as a football game, and gives a description or explanation of it.
obese: dangerously overweight
pledge: to promise
urges: insists or recommends strongly
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