Screen-free week encourages fitness for all, especially children

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Live Healthy Iowa encourage all Iowans, especially children, to find ways to make time for fitness. Screen-Free Week, April 30 through May 6, is an annual event that asks participants to take a look at the amount of time they spend in front of the TV, computer, or other devices with screens and consider ways to rely less on screens for entertainment.

“There is clearly a time and place for screen media in our world today,” said Sarah Taylor Watts, IDPH Physical Activity Coordinator. “It's equally clear that screen time is cutting into time for physical activity. Screen-Free Week is an opportunity to recognize the amount of our free time that's spent in front of a screen, and to look for healthier alternatives.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under 2 years of age and less than two hours per day for older children; however, according to the Nielson Company which measures television viewing data, preschool children spend 32 hours a week with screen media. In an effort to reduce screen time and replace it with physical activity among children, IDPH has partnered with five Iowa YMCAs in Burlington, Forest City, Muscatine, Scott County and Waukee by offering mini-grants during Screen Free Week. Participating Ys agree to:

• Revise before and afterschool and/or child watch policies regarding television viewing.

• Eliminate television viewing for children attending the YMCA during Screen Free Week.

• Provide educational programming regarding television viewing and physical activity.

For suggestions on how to move away from the screen and toward better fitness, visit Live Healthy Iowa at

www.livehealthyiowa.org/default.aspx. For information on Screen-Free Week, visit

www.commercialfreechildhood.org/screenfreeweek/whatissfw.htm