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| EXPERIENCE |
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| Amy Norwood is the
owner and program director of Stretch-n-Grow® in
your area. Amy is a fitness enthusiast and a
mom. Amy was a preschool assistant director before joining
the Stretch-n-Grow family. She and her coaching
staff are certified youth fitness instructors,
as well as CPR and first aid certified.
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| YOUTH FITNESS
GUIDELINES |
|
| Our Youth Fitness
Guidelines are in compliance with AFAA (Aerobic
& Fitness Assn. Of America), ACE (American
Council on Exercise), ACSM (American College of
Sports Medicine) and AAP (American Academy of
Pediatrics). Our curriculum and exercise
glossary are safe, effective and
age-appropriate. |
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| OUR
INSTRUCTORS |
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| EVERY instructor is a
certified Youth Fitness Specialist and is
certified in CPR and First Aid. Our
comprehensive training program is rigorous and
on going. Each instructor attends quarterly
training camps to maintain the integrity of our
program, as well the childcare licensing
credentials mandated by the state of Texas. All
instructors are caregiver certified.
Additionally, we provide liability
insurance. |
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| HISTORY |
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| Stretch-n-Grow, Inc. –
the world’s largest network of children’s
fitness professionals - originated in Galveston,
Texas in 1992. After an intense study and the
discovery of alarming statistics concerning the
health status of American’s young children, the
founders of Stretch-n-Grow® set out on their
mission to change the course for children
everywhere. Stretch-n-Grow® has expanded to over
1,000 cities across America, Canada, England,
Ireland, Central America, Australia, New
Zealand, Hong Kong, Portugal and
Spain. |
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| ADVISORY
BOARD |
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| Our exercises and
curriculum were developed under the supervision
of an Advisory Board consisting of
pediatricians, nutritionists, educators and
fitness professional. Our Advisory Board and
Affiliate Advisory Council regularly review our
program to ensure that our participants enjoy
the most effective and safe exercises available
for children. |
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| MISSION |
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| To lay a foundation for
a healthy lifestyle and a positive attitude
toward well- being To establish life-long
patterns of fitness and good eating habits To
prepare children for participation in physical
education and athletic programs To empower
parents and child care providers in setting a
healthy example for children. |
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| CLASS COMPONENTS &
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS |
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| Much like that of an
adult aerobics class, every class consists of
the following elements: age appropriate warm-up
story, endurance, resistance and strength
training, activity and coordination, cool down
and stretch. Class is completed by a muscle
review and topic discussion. |
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| We structure our
classes based upon the age group and their basic
level of motor behavior as described below. Each
lesson plan is designed to enhance and improve
the fitness level of each specific age group in
a creative and structured setting. See Motor
Behavior Chart below: |
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| Age
Range |
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| 18 Months |
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| 18
Months |
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| 18
Months |
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| 18
Months |
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| 18 Months - 2
Years |
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| 2 Years |
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| 2
Years |
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| 2-3 Years |
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| 3 Years |
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| 3 Years |
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| 3-4 Years |
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| 4+ Years |
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| 4+ Years |
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| 4+
Years | |
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| Motor
Behavior |
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| Curiosity is
extensive |
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| Can run |
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| Climb upward but not
down |
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| Walk
backwards |
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| Can gallop |
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| Can jump in place with
both feet |
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| Roll a ball |
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| Can begin to kick a
ball |
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| Balance on one foot (5
seconds) |
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| Throws
underhanded |
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| Can run, hop and
skip |
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| Slide sideward on
feet |
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| Balance on one foot (10
seconds) |
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| Throws over
handed | | |
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| PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS. .
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| 30-minutes (3’s – 5’s)
or 20-minutes (toddlers & two’s) of
continuous, fun, safe and effective exercises
designed for young children Action-packed,
non-stop fitness class where every child is the
focus – no waiting in line! Skill-specific
equipment used in every class for every child
Exercise emphasizing large muscle groups, motor
skills, coordination, balance, resistance,
flexibility and aerobic activity Structured
activities that help create spatial awareness,
rhythm and social development Physical
conditioning prepares kids for skilled
activities necessary for competitive and team
sports Age-appropriate lesson hand-outs on
important topics such as exercise, health,
nutrition, safety and hygiene and monthly
newsletters for parents Classes starting at age
18 MONTHS |
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| Statistics on
Children’s Health and Fitness |
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| University of Michigan –
Fitness for Youth Program Research Nine
out of ten parents think their children are
physically fit, when actually only one out of
three are. |
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| Association for Health,
Physical Education, Recreation & Dance
(TN) |
|
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Physical
inactivity and poor diet together account for at
least 300,000 deaths in the U.S. each
year. |
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The incidence of
obesity among young children has doubled in the
last 10 years. |
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Physical inactivity
increases the risk of premature death and heart
disease, and developing diabetes, colon cancer
and high blood pressure. |
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Quality physical
education programs serve as the foundation for a
healthy
lifestyle. | |
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| American Journal of
Medical Science |
|
|
Children who
perform better on standardized tests have more
favorable body composition and lipid profiles
(HDL or “bad” cholesterol). |
|
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Programs that increase
regular activity in youths hold promise in
reducing adult heart
disease | |
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| Journal of the American
Medical Association |
|
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By 1998, 22%
of black children aged 4 to 12, 22% of Hispanic
and 12% of white children were significantly
overweight. |
|
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Between 1991 and 2000,
incidence of obesity increases 61% and incidence
of type 2 diabetes increased 44%. These are
called “twin epidemics.”
(2001) | |
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| American Heart
Association |
|
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Parents who
model healthy eating and exercise habits greatly
influence their children’s health. |
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Healthy lifestyle
training should start in early
childhood. | |
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| Centers for Disease
Control & Prevention (CDC) |
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Each year,
physical inactivity contributes to nearly
260,000 deaths in the United States. |
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Healthy lifestyle
training should start in early
childhood. |
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5.3 million (12.5%)
American children are overweight or
obese. |
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71% of American adults
are overweight; 30% are obese (those in excess
of 200
lbs.). | |
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| Baylor College of
Medicine |
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Children
today have a shorter life expectancy than their
parents for the first time in 100 years because
of the epidemic of obesity. |
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20 years ago, less than
1% of children were diagnosed with type 2
diabetes; today that number has risen to 27%,
primarily due to
obesity. | |
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| U.S. Department of
Agriculture |
|
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70% of
overweight children aged 10 to 13 will be
overweight and obese
adults. | |
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| United States Dietary
Association (USDA) |
|
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Fewer than
half of U.S. school children participate in
physical education.
(1998) | |
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| World Health
Organization |
|
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Obesity is
doubling every 5 years. At this rate, every
person in America will be obese by
2230. | |
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