Snow day is opportunity to go outside, says P.E.I. fitness trainer

A P.E.I. fitness trainer is encouraging parents to take advantage of storm days to plan fresh air activities in light of a new national report that doesn't exactly give Canada high marks on kids' physical activity.

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Non-profit group ParticipACTION, which advocates for people to be more active, said in its annual report that Canadian children spend too much time indoors, sitting. The report gives kids across the country a D– for the third year in a row, finding most children and youth aren't meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.

P.E.I. fitness trainer Dave MacEachern of Dynamic Fitness said snow days are a great opportunity to get kids out of the house.

"We can all set great examples by instead of saying, 'Hey go play outside,' go play outside with them,
go build a fort, go sliding, go skating, go snowshoeing," he said.

MacEachern said too many people have forgotten how to move or think organized sports provide all the exercise their kids need. 

Leslee Jabbour, a Charlottetown mother, took her son Joseph outside during a brief reprieve from Wednesday's storm — but was surprised he was on his own.

"My little guy will knock on his friend's doors and they don't want to come outside or they say they don't know what they're going to do outside," she said.

The report also focuses on risk, saying too many parents are afraid of their child getting hurt. 

MacEachern said the real fear should be the health risks kids can face if they don't get moving.