THURSDAY 19 JUNE 2014 • [email protected] • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741 Take your inside CAMPUS brain for a • QU students interact with Boston nice walk College students P | 4 P | 11 MARKETPLACE • Dairy Queen opens outlet at Ezdan Mall P | 5 SCIENCE • Clean hydrogen advances amid cell technology gains P | 7 FILM • Out of this world: Are space operas making a comeback? P | 8-9 TECHNOLOGY • How King’s CEO conquered the gaming world FAMILY FITNESS P | 12 We all know the benefits of exercise. It can improve our LEARN ARABIC physical and mental health and help expand our social • Learn commonly circles. It’s as close to a panacea as we’re likely to get. used Arabic words It’s also the best way to get children to use that boundless and their meanings energy for personal good rather than public destruction. P | 13 2 PLUS | THURSDAY 19 JUNE 2014 COVER STORY Turn family time into fitness time By Mari-Jane Williams inexpensive and (relatively) painless. stop and explore things that interest Family exercise can also give We spoke to experts in six types of us along the way.” e all know the benefits of you a fun shared activity that exercise that parents can do with their Odett is the founder and organ- exercise. It can improve can continue as kids age into children. They shared tricks to keep izer of Kidical Mass DC, a group that our physical and mental the whining to a minimum and their leads child-friendly bike rides in the Whealth and help expand those awkward teen years. favourite places to work up a sweat. Washington area. our social circles. It’s as close to a pan- Here are their suggestions on how to Before taking a child out on the road, acea as we’re likely to get. try biking, hiking, rock climbing, run- Odett said, make sure he can handle It’s also the best way to get chil- tablets and get active together. ning, stand-up paddling and yoga as his bike, including stopping and start- dren to use that boundless energy By exercising as a family, you’ll have a family. ing reliably. It’s also important for him for personal good rather than public a built-in support system. When dad to have good impulse control. destruction. is dragging after a long day at work, Biking The Centers for Disease Control and the 12-year-old can remind him that Megan Odett, a mom of two who Hiking Prevention recommends that adults fitness is a family priority. If everyone lives in Washington, used to bike for Jennifer Chambers started tak- get at least 150 minutes of moderate is working together, the odds of being transportation. After a complicated ing her daughter on hikes in an aerobic exercise a week, plus muscle- successful at reaching fitness goals pregnancy with her first child, who is infant carrier when she was about 4 strengthening exercise two days a are much greater, said David Buer, now 4, she found herself battling post- weeks old. Over Memorial Day week- week. Children and teens need even a personal trainer based in Atlanta. partum depression. So she got back end, Chambers and her daughter, more exercise: At least 60 minutes each Family exercise can also give you a on her bike and brought her son Alex who is now 13, hiked 40 miles of the day, according to the CDC. Yet only fun shared activity that can continue along. Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania with 20 percent of adults and 25 percent of as kids age into those awkward teen “Getting back on a bike with him some friends. Chambers owns Hiking children ages 12 to 15 get the recom- years. You know, when they can’t get was my path to physical and emotional Along, an organization that leads chil- mended amount of exercise. far enough away from their oh-so- recovery,” said Odett, who rode with dren in preschool through high school We don’t have the time. We’re dis- annoying parents. her son strapped into a trailer in his on hikes in the Washington area. The tracted by all those shiny devices. “Beyond the obvious health and car seat until he graduated to a bike hikes incorporate hands-on science We’re horrible about procrastinating. physical benefits, it’s a bonding expe- seat. She commutes by bicycle each activities. The combination of hiking We’re so busy shuttling our kids from rience,” Buer said. “You’re leading by day, dropping the kids at day care and and science came from Chambers’ 18 soccer to swimming to art class that example and imprinting these healthy preschool on her way to work, and years as a special-education teacher. we can’t seem to squeeze in our own habits that potentially will last a life- the older boy travels alongside her on We’ve had trouble getting buy-in fitness. (Guilty, on all counts.) time. It’s also great one-on-one time.” recreational rides now, on his balance when trying to hike with our children Whatever the reason, parents and We’re not talking about running a bike. (lots of griping, frequent bathroom children are not taking advantage of marathon with your 12-year-old next “We’re going at a slower speed and stops and contentious discussions the one thing that can reliably make us month, trying to keep up with your can enjoy the world around us more,” about who got more of the M&M’s in feel better all around. So this is a call young lacrosse star on the field or buy- Odett said. “You can see more when the trail mix). So we asked Chambers to time-strapped parents and children ing a bunch of expensive equipment. you’re riding than when you’re driv- to share her secrets to keep the whin- to put down their smartphones and You can choose an activity that is fun, ing, and we have the opportunity to ing to a minimum. PLUS | THURSDAY 19 JUNE 2014 3 Along with packing plenty of snacks, bringing a friend and letting the kids go at their own pace, she said it’s impor- tant to pick the right trail. And when it comes to kids, that’s usually anything with rocks or water. She also suggested bringing along a hand lens, binoculars or a nature journal and markers for the child to use along the way. A good hike for kids explores part of the Appalachian Trail from the Bear’s Den Center in Bluemont, Virginia. The two-mile trail on the property has an outcropping of rocks that makes a great spot for a picnic, Chambers said. Older kids and teens love Section A of the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls, Virginia, she said, but the 1.7-mile hike is strenuous and involves lots of rock scrambling, so it’s not ideal for younger children. Rock climbing Scaling a 40-foot sheer rock wall with nothing but blue sky between you and the ground may not be for those of us with acrophobia. But for 12-year-old Arabella Jariel of Herndon, Virginia, and her parents, Jennie and Ike, it’s the perfect way to unwind as a family. session at a local gym before commit- said. “They get to release some energy, can’t run because of joint problems “It’s both physically and mentally ting to classes, Jennie Jariel said. do something they enjoy and walk away can participate. challenging, because there are times with a sense of accomplishment.” “People think it looks so hard. It’s that, in addition to the physical part, Running Jenny Hadfield, a columnist for not,” Birnes said. “You just need to get you have to push past your fear,” said Children are hard-wired to run, even RunnersWorld.com, suggests using over the misconception that you need Jennie Jariel, who started climbing if it’s just laps around the house in the progress charts to keep everyone moti- really good balance to do it. You just when she was in college. “As a family, morning before school. They have lots vated. Kids can keep track of the miles need a stable board and the balance we help each other with that.” of energy, and it has to come out. So if they’ve logged or how much they’ve will come as you get stronger. It’s the Arabella started climbing when she running is your thing, it’s easy to loop improved their time over the course perfect blend of being challenging to was 7 and has been competing with them into your exercise programme. of the month. She also said parents can your core and [mentally] restorative.” the team at Earth Treks in Rockville, Kristen Komlosy, the executive turn running into a scavenger hunt, Birnes does not recommend SUP for Maryland, since she was 8. Jennie Jariel director of Girls on the Run-DC, runs with a map and toys hidden around children younger than 6, because they said it’s perfect for them because while with her two boys, who are 7 and 10, your running route, to make it fun for have to be able to manage the paddle. Arabella is practicing at the gym, she about three times a week. Both boys kids. Sometimes when she’s out with her and Ike can climb, as well. They take play sports, including basketball and Many local schools host one-mile daughter, they will paddle out to an family trips to places such as Red River lacrosse.