Be Active at Summer Camp!

Out and About in Denver

Looking for some fun summer activities you can enjoy as a family? You’re in luck! The Denver area is packed with family-friendly activities that provide both entertainment and education. The following are some ideas to get you moving in the right direction:

• Roam with the buffaloes. Visit the Buffalo Herd Nature Preserve located 20 miles west of Denver to view buffalo in a natural setting.
• Talk to the animals. The Denver Zoo features 75 acres filled with over 4,000 animals, including elephants, leopards and vampire bats.
• Float like a butterfly. Head to the Butterfly Pavilion and Insect Center in Westminster to explore a tropical rainforest filled with over 1,200 butterflies.
• Swim with the fish. Denver ’s Downtown Aquarium introduces visitors to fish, mammals and birds from around the world.

For more family-friendly activities in your area, visit www.denver.org

Over the past 30 years, obesity rates have more than doubled in adolescents and more than tripled in children up to age 11. Sending your children to a physically active summer camp can help keep them from becoming part of this alarming statistic.

Summer camps can provide an outlet for children to learn new physical activities or improve upon skill sets of old favorites. Physical activity is essential because it helps children maintain a healthy weight and it strengthens growing bones, both of which mean less risk of injuries.

“Camps teach kids fun, new ways of staying physically active,” said K. Brooke Pengel, MD, medical director of the sports medicine team at The Children’s Hospital. “The more physically active we can help our children become, the better off their overall health will be.”

Keeping camp safe

When trying to decide on a camp, choose one with modern, proper safety equipment and counselors who are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid. Before sending your child to camp, it is helpful to incorporate physical activity into her routine. Doing so helps condition your child, which will provide a better camp experience.

“Every kid will arrive at camp with his own baseline fitness level and will need to adapt to the increase in repetitive-motion activity,”  Dr. Pengel said. “That is why it’s very important to alternate activities.”

Therefore, choosing a camp that offers a variety of physical activities will help reduce overuse injuries. For example, a camp where children alternate between swimming and soccer allows them to use different muscle groups during each activity. This “cross-training” provides the fatigued muscles a needed opportunity to rest.

Coping with homesickness

The American Camp Association recommends helping your child cope with homesickness at camp by encouraging independence throughout the year. Other ideas include:

• Involving your child in choosing a camp
• Packing personal items such as family photos
• Sending a care package ahead of time to greet your child upon arrival at camp

For more information on physical activity and your child, visit our sports medicine website. To schedule an appointment with a sports medicine specialist, call (720) 777-3899.