Library program teaches children to stay fit

Yuma's new Main Library may lack Nautilus Gym equipment but the children's department has teamed up with the nonprofit Campesinos Sin Fronteras to help children stay fit.

Healthy Families, a program geared toward middle school youths aims to help children avoid chronic disease, Francisco Vargas, the library's youth services manager, said. The program targets 10 to 12 year old children because this is the age group who often" falls through the cracks" of library activities, he said.

"This is a six week class where we give kids the information they need to choose more wisely. If they are going to go to a restaurant we want them to make better choices from the menu, more fruits and vegetables. And we show them how to be more active."

The class is held each Wednesday afternoon in the children's section craft room from Sept. 2 to Oct. 7. For children with perfect attendance, they can earn special prizes such as a backpack of workout supplies, including a yoga mat, Vargas said.

Nohemi Ortega and Jasmine Garcia are the two representatives from Campesinos who organize the class. Campesinos has been serving seasonal farm workers and their families in Yuma County to help them improve their health and access to health services since 1997. Last year the Johnson & Johnson Co. foundation awarded them a $75,000 grant.

Ortega, program development director, said the grant focuses on three areas: diabetes, childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease prevention.

"Each class is reinforced with hands-on activities. So when we talk about the five food groups we give them a recipe and then we have a cooking class for one of the food groups."

The classes' opening session began with a survey to check how much children knew about the above diseases. This can more accurately gage intervention to guide them to better nutrition.

Ortega said, they can show children how to stay active without being involved in a structured sport. She and Garcia organized games to keep them physically active and show them there are fitness opportunities everywhere, even in the library.

For the first class they played Twister. It comprises a large plastic mat with colored circles and children must balance themselves on their palms and feet according to a directional chart with corresponding circles when they spin an arrow on the chart.

"Twister can be bought at any toy store and it's an inexpensive way to stay active inside, especially here in Yuma where it's so hot during the summer."

Other games to keep children engaged are hula-hoops and jumping ropes that are just as inexpensive, Ortega said.

And to add an extra incentive they hold competitions and offer fruit snacks that are only 80 calories as opposed to more traditional ones that can be much more fattening.

Ruben Guajardo, 11, a 6th grade student at the Gary Knox School, said he thought Twister was a lot of fun but "it was pretty hard because I hadn't played it in a while."

Ruben added, his mother lets him come to the library every day because they have so many books,  such as a favorite "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney. But it's not just the books. The library is next to school and he can walk. They have a teen room and he likes to play Nintendo's Wii.

Despite having to take a survey that was like a test, Ruben said it was easy. He recalled he answered a similar poll at his school where they were lectured about proper nutrition.

"They said you can eat junk food once in a while as long as it's not every day. When they told us how fruits are good for you I didn't believe them at first. But now some of my favorite foods are watermelon and mangos."

At the end of six weeks children will again take the survey, Ortega noted.

"As the program progresses we try to improve their knowledge about nutrition and affect behavior change. We hope we can reinforce the message of staying physically active and eating healthy."