Fit 4 Life Kids Helps Young Cancer Survivors

Everyone experiences a defining moment in their career.

I have been fortunate to experience a few of these life changing gems and recently I was able to add another one to the memory books.

A few months ago I received an email from a gentleman named Jose. In his email he wrote the following:

"I have worked with children and young adults with Cancer for over 10 years, and am currently running a fitness program for young adult Cancer survivors. I was hoping to learn more about adapted fitness for individuals with some physical limitations."

Understand that we get requests all the time from schools and non-profits wanting our Fit 4 Life Kids program, but this was a first.

I knew I wanted to help but wasn't sure how, so I invited Jose to attend one of our Fit 4 Life Kids staff development trainings.

Right away I could tell that he truly loved the work that he was doing and wanted only the best for the young people in his program.

When I asked him what he loved most about his job he responded by telling me the following:

"Seeing children that are 2 or 3 days post-op from having a brain tumor surgically removed and wanting to go to the pediatric floor’s Playroom to do what children do best – play, is a testament to that resiliency.

Although the biggest downside of this population is that not every individual can make it through the Cancer journey with success, it is a blessing to see those that are 4, 5, and even 10 years off treatment and doing well in their lives."

This was powerful stuff, and when he mentioned that he provided opportunities for children to simply play, I knew were going to be able to create a special program; one that focuses on structured fun, play and purpose. This made me want to help out even more.

He went on to explain that it was actually the teenagers and young adults in his support group that wanted some type of program to help them get into shape.

Jose continued on with the following,

"When I suggested looking into getting discounted gym memberships, a couple of them (teens) responded that they were or had been members of gyms, but for varying reasons did not enjoy it.

At that moment, I realized that they needed more than just a place to go, but to work with someone that they could trust and be comfortable with.
It is difficult for any adult to become a member of a health club and see the results they want without being properly guided.

With all of the hi-tech machinery available and intimidation factor of being around amazingly fit people, it can be daunting for anyone. Combine that with body-image issues from having visible surgical scars, patches of hair that may never re-grow, and being on the verge of diabetes and it could discourage almost anyone from wanting to be in such an environment.

What these young adults needed was something they could call their own and do together, since they understand each other’s needs so well. They started me on a mission to design a program tailor-made for each individual’s abilities and/or limitations.

I originally wanted to reach out to Emil Ramnarine, founder of Fit 4 Life NYC, to learn more about how they carry out their youth programs, without any intention of eventually partnering with his program.

Not only was he willing to discuss his program, he invited me to observe their sessions and attend one of their staff training workshops.

The decision to partner with Fit 4 Life NYC was made very simple by taking part in a training workshop for their instructors. The enthusiasm that the instructors had during their demonstrations of fitness games (that can be adapted to various age groups and abilities) made such an impression on me that I was automatically convinced that this would be the right fit for my program. Learning about their philosophy was crucial to me, as I wanted more for my group than just exercise, but an understanding of lifestyle change."

Fast forward to this past Tuesday when we launched the Living Fit program. I am forever changed as I listened to these amazing young people, who have had a brush with death, talk about going to college and what type of dream job they want. It also blew me away just how invested they were in getting in shape.

In the middle of our first class I ended up spending a lot of time answering their questions like, "Is it true that the more I sweat, the more calories I'm burning?" "What is the best types of exercise to build muscle?" and "Is it okay to drink Gatorade?"

I'm not sure what will happen when the 8-weeks are over, but Jose and I have talked about duplicating the program at other medical centers.

For now, I'm humbled and happy to be along for the ride.

To find out more about the program please contact me at 718-210-3374 or Emil@fit4lifenyc.com.

The Living Fit Program is a collaboration between Fit 4 Life NYC Inc. and the Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at NYU Langone Medical Center. Jose Acevedo, MS Ed., CTRS, has been working in the field of Pediatric Oncology/Recreation Therapy for over ten years. He currently works at the Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at NYU Langone Medical Center, where he is the Family Wellness Program Coordinator and Recreation Therapist.

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A Sad Day

On May 1st, one of the best things to happen to the fight against child obesity in New York State will come to an end. NYSHEPA (New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance), an organization that I highly admire and respect, lost the funding to continue their much needed efforts.

Since 2006 NYSHEPA was committed to the following:

• Promote organizational policies, regulations and environmental changes that support healthy eating and fitness.
• Educate the community about promising regulatory and legislative solutions to improve eating and physical activity in New York State
• Unite like-minded organizations into one statewide voice in support of our mission
• Disseminate evidence-based strategies and tools to a variety of public and private settings
• Involve industry in discussions aimed at improving food and fitness environments in New York
• Seek funding to support the goals and infrastructure of the alliance
• Preserve its credibility and independence by not accepting food or beverage industry funds

These efforts were driven by co-founder Nancy Huehnergarth and a team of New York State's top youth health, fitness, and nutrition experts.

I was honored to be a part of these efforts when Nancy asked for me to conduct state-wide workshops on their new Healthy Kids, Healthy New York after-school toolkit. The toolkit and training was supported by a grant from the National Governor's Association.

Traveling around the state talking about my life's passion, keeping children active and healthy, was an incredible and eye opening experience to say the least.

I saw that our upstate after school programs are dealing with the same struggles as after school programs in New York City - lack of funds, limited access to healthy food options, high rates of child obesity, the need for more parent support, and untrained after school staff.

In a time when the general public is becoming overwhelmed, maybe even desensitized, to the staggering child obesity stats, organizations like NYSHEPA served as the elbow in the ribs reminder that we have a serious problem that can't be ignored.

Sure, shows like Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and Michelle Obama's amazing Let's Move initiative are creating more awareness, but this is a war that is going to be won in the trenches.
When the rallying cry of an organization like NYSHEPA goes silent it is the responsibility of coaches, teachers, social workers, after school counselors, parents and community leaders to become the voice for change.

The voice for every innocent child that is a victim to the poor decisions adults sometimes make.

The voice for what's just.
The voice for every child's right to play.
The voice for a better way of life for our children.

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Is playtime over for our children?

When I was a kid I loved playing hide and go seek.

When the weather was bad outdoors me and my sisters would play it in the house (man, did it drive my mother nuts).

When the weather was nice I would get together with all the other kids in the neighborhood and we used our entire block as our play area. We would hide in trees, under cars, even on rooftops.

If there were a Children's Game Play Hall of Fame, hide and go seek would be at the top of the list of inductees.

There was such an innocence to the game. I remember when a new child would want to join a game me and my friends had already started, we were like "Sure! But you're it." We would all then scurry away to our hiding places while he/she counted to 10.

But it was this little act of acceptance that separates what was then from the way things are now.

Today I see more teasing, bullying and cheating when children play. Sure, we all dealt with this when were younger, but it was resolved quickly and we continued on.

Why?

Because it was fun to play!

Today there is more of a mean initiation process, where the new kid has to prove himself worthy to be able to join in on a game.

And if the new kid even looks or sounds remotely "funny" to the other kids, forget about it. They receive a big "No!" Or equally as worse, they get told "yes" and then become the target for relentless teasing and hitting.

Children today lack the proper social skills that come with fair game play. They are bombarded with a message of win at all costs and the celebration of selfish solo efforts rather than teamwork.

Combine this with unfair limited resources such as reduced P.E. time, equipment, space and untrained staff and you have the perfect recipe for aggression, low self-esteem, obesity, and a decreased motivation to be active.

Check out this interesting article that was recently printed in the New York Times called Playtime is Over. Op-ed contributor, David Elkind, writes about the increase in what are called "recess coaches." These are individuals who have been specially trained in how to manage conflict, organize structured activities and promote fair game play.

Did you ever think you would see the day where recess would be run like a classroom?

In his article Mr. Elkind questions whether or not roles like "recess coaches" will be able to bring play back to our schools. Although I share his same curiosity, I strongly feel we need more programs that focus on structured play.

In my work I have observed too many afterschool programs that have untrained staff leading unstructured physical activity time. I have seen children curled up in the corner crying, kids getting smacked in head with a playground ball, fights, and lots of sitting around.

The good news is that after one of our Everyone Plays workshops, we get reports of increased activity, less behavior issues, and more sharing and cooperation.

The mission of our Fit 4 Life Kids program is to keep children and active and fit, but it is our Play with a Purpose model that echos old-school principles like cooperation, sharing, an all-inclusive environment, and teamwork.

So the next time you see your students, nephews/nieces or your own children playing a game like hide and go seek, jump in and show them what it means to play fair.

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