Rolling Some Ideas

If you stop by the SkinFlint Outdoor blogsite you’d expect to read about something outdoorsy. The sad truth to that is there isn’t always the opportunity to be outdoors. This is a painful thought for a person who grew up in a day and age when there were no handheld game systems or extreme electronic devices to entertain the adolescent masses of America. What happened to the time when kids rode their bikes, climbed trees, or played cowboys and Indians? In our new age we have a bunch of youth who spend on average over 40 hours per week staring at some kind of computer screen and someone is bound to be offended if you play cowboys and Indians.

But in writing this article I had to face the sad reality that there are tracts of land and bodies of water which cannot be accessed. We need to accept the idea that some pay to fish lakes and hunting clubs are either not worth the money or just too costly in today’s difficult economic times. So what are we to do? Shall we sit back and allow our kids to go off and use drugs and cause havoc in the streets? (Sadly, I know of a lady who would prefer this over hunting and fishing.) Or perhaps we can come up with an alternative to spend time and help bond with our children.

Recently, having a broken down boat and no access to another means of spending time with my precious little ones, I found myself in a situation in which I needed to come up with something fun to entertain my little angels. I wondered and I pondered, then it dawned on me to take them bowling. For some folks out there this may not be a big deal. For me, it was something I hadn’t done in over a decade and a half. It is an easy way to bond with your kids, and keep them active at the same time. This article will give some notions, facts, and ideas about an indoor sport that can be an alternative to interact with your children when other options are out of the question.

Believe it or not, bowling is a healthy way to have fun with your kids and get some exercise at the same time. Yes, bowling can be decent exercise. It’s not a high end cardio program. Bowling is a form of anaerobic exercise which is close to walking with weights and it will often work muscle groups commonly skipped by average people during their normal workout routine. This fact makes bowling great for you and old. Most people from all ages and fitness levels can participate in an afternoon of bowling. The manner by which bowling stretches and works different muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons will help in overall flexibility and can promote weight loss. Not only that, but physical activity can help improve social skills and overall cognitive ability.

So, we can’t say bowling will solve all your weight loss problems. However, it can keep your family active when there isn’t any access to outdoor recreation. Sure, you can ride a bike at the park for the four thousandth time. But bowling gives something different. Not only does it stretch and work different muscle groups, it also helps your coordination. While a Wii can give you the simulated feel of a bowling alley it doesn’t offer the same level of exercise. Not only that, Wii doesn’t give you a chance to go to a public place and have that experience.

Just as the excitement of that four thousandth lap on your bike, I can’t really come up with a reasonably entertaining way to explain how to bowl. You take the ball, roll it down the aisle, and wait to see how many pins you knock down. Wait for the ball to come back to the rack, and repeat. That’s bowling. It’s almost as exciting as watching paint dry if you try to read about it. You don’t even need to know how to keep score anymore, now that we have a computerized scorekeeper. The simple fact is for most folks it’s about the time together with loved ones rather than the actual sport.

As for the sport itself, the game of bowling has been around for a good long while. The earliest form of bowling can be seen about 3,200 years ago in Egypt, then later in Roman Empire camps.  The balls were made from a number of materials, including leather, porcelain, and plastic. Versions of the game made it to Europe about 400 A.D. It got a foothold there in Germany and spread from there. It kept growing from there and even made it to the White House in the 1940’s when an alley was installed.

The important thing is the profound impacts physical activities, such as bowling, can have on the development and health of our kids. We’re all about our kids. There’s an almost limitless amount of research out there to support the mental and physical health bonuses a kid can get from even one afternoon of enjoyable physical activity. An article published by the World Health Organization stated “Three critical elements of healthy child development: stable, responsive, and nurturing care-giving; safe, supportive, environments; and appropriate nutrition. The brain develops most rapidly in the first few years of a child’s life. Stable, caring, interactive relationships with adults, any way or any place they can be provided, will benefit healthy brain development of young children. Safe, cohesive, child-centered neighborhoods, communities, and villages matter for early child development greatly. High quality early childhood care and education programs can improve children’s chances for success in later life.”

There’s still a ton more information to be had. The World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control, and the National Organization for the Education of Young Children are all valuable resources to learn more. That’s in addition to lots and lots of articles to educate yourself with. Excerpts from a New York Times article stated “Encourage young kids to run, jump, hop and chase after each other or erratically kick balls, and you substantially improve their ability to think. Studies show that children’s scores on math and reading tests improve if they go for a walk beforehand, even if the children are overweight or unfit. Studies have found relations between children’s fitness level and their brain structure, with areas of the brain devoted to thinking and learning being generally larger among kids who are fit. Children whose executive functions are slowed tend to have school problems, while children with well-developed executive functions usually do well.  Get kids to be physically active for the sake of their brains, as well as their health.”

In the end, we should be talking about something outdoorsy. In reality, we as parents, there is a need to bond with our friends and children. The times and economy make it hard for us to really be part of our own families. If you are in a position where you get to eat dinner with your family every night and have funds to go on a small trip every weekend then you can count yourself among the blessed. If you, or someone you know, is among those who simply have no time or money for basic family interaction then there is a need for action.

Smack them (or yourself), trip them (or yourself), talk to them (or yourself), or whatever needs to be done to make that person stop and do something simple. A simple trip to a farm pond or bowling alley, on a Sunday afternoon, can change lives. Take some time and form those bonds, even if you don’t necessarily go outdoors to have an evening out. Give your kids a hug and take them bowling.