School Kids Are Getting Active One Hour Every Day With the Help of BC's Doctors

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov. 5, 2014) - Encouraging kids to get moving more often and for longer is the goal behind Doctors of BC's third annual Be Active Every Day (BAED) challenge. Thirty doctors are partnering with 38 elementary schools and more than 4,600 students around the province from November 3 - November 28 challenging kids to be active for at least one hour of every day.

The BAED challenge is in response to the latest findings from the Canadian Health Measures Survey that states only seven per cent of 5-11 year olds meet the Canadian Physical Activity guidelines of one hour of activity a day. The survey also finds that sixty-one per cent of Canadian parents agree their kids spend too much time staring at their electronic devices rather than being active.

With BC doctors in the classroom children will learn more about health, nutrition and fitness from a medical perspective and will understand the simple 5-2-1-0 steps (5 fruits and veggies, 2 hours of screen time, 1 hour of activity, and 0 sugar-sweetened beverages, every day). By the end of the month it is anticipated the kids will turn their healthy choices into healthy habits - ones that will last well into adulthood.

"Overall it is a privilege to encourage these young children to be active every day and to provide the fundamentals of a lifelong habit," says Dr Ron Wilson, Chair of the Doctors of BC's Athletics and Recreation Committee. "The younger people are when they start an activity, the more likely they are to continue it as an adult. That's the long term goal of the program."

To help students achieve their goals, BAED has the support of the Canadian Women's National Soccer team. In advance of the FIFA World Cup coming to Canada early next year, players Emily Zurrer and Brittany Baxter are BAED's champion ambassadors who encourage the kids by teaching them soccer tricks and training them to become "soccer stars" through a series of videos. The kids will also keep track of their daily activities in their How to Be a Soccer Star booklet.

More information and a full list of participating communities can be found at doctorsofbc.ca/active.

Let's get kids moving!