Toronto Teacher Mom: Active For Life

Try Something New for 30 Days

Downward facing dog - Active for Life #AfL30Days challenge - #AfLFamily

For the past few weeks, families have been taking on the Active for Life 30-day family physical literacy challenge. This challenge is for anyone who wants to be more active with the family and who want to help their child develop physical literacy. For each of the 30 days, Active for Life will post a suggestion for an easy activity on Facebook that will help your child develop physical literacy but is also enjoyable for the grown-ups in the house as well.

As an Active for Life Role Model, I was invited to share some photos of our family's activities so, of course, I decided to share snapshots of an impromptu family yoga session. However, I wasn't prepared for how awesome my kids would be at getting their yoga on since we don't do family yoga nearly enough. Their downward-facing dog in honour of National Puppy Day was a good start. Then... but then...

Lifted lotus - Active for Life #AfL30Days challenge - #AfLFamily

I don't know how he does it but he manages to get into lifted lotus without even thinking. It's like kids are naturals when it comes to yoga. I keep remembering how easily both my kids were able to do the downward dog as toddlers, even touching the tops of their heads to the ground. Or when I used to check up on them while they were sleeping and find them lying on their back in warrior pose. It's like, somehow, their bodies know. But when they get older, they forget what they are capable of. This is why I love this 30-day challenge so much because it gives us a chance to exercise the muscle memory while having fun together, as a family. I shared some of our photos on Instagram and they just so happen to be some of the most popular photos I've ever shared. Here's my daughter, a dancer in training, sharing her y-stand:

Next up, a dancer's version of yoga: an impressive Y-stand! #AfL30Days #ystand #yoga #yogaforkids #familyyoga #yogafamily #activeforlife #physicalliteracy #namaste #instayoga #AfLfamily #twitter #everybodybends #everybodybendscanada #dancer #jazzdancer #stopdropandyoga

A post shared by Diana Mancuso (@torontomom) on Mar 23, 2017 at 6:14pm PDT

To see the rest of the photos, head on over to my Instragram feed @torontomom. For more information on how you can participate in the #AfL30Days challenge, visit activeforlife.com.

Saturday, March 25, 2017
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Active for Life Role Model Spotlight

Active For Life

As a teacher and a mother of two young children, I value the importance of regular physical activity and have witnessed first hand how physical literacy plays a crucial role in the development of a child’s skill set and self-confidence. With that said, I couldn’t be more thrilled to align myself with a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of physical literacy - Active for Life.

Active for Life is the place where parents go to learn about activities for kids. Physical education leads to physical literacy, which is critical for child development. Physical literacy also gives active kids the best chance to someday compete in high-performance sport. Kids activities are organized here by age and gender, so parents can find fun and engaging ways of making sure their children get the recommended daily amount of physical activity. Activities for toddlers are aimed at the development of fundamental movement skills, while activities for children build on the fundamentals to establish more complex sport skills that can be used to play any number of sports and activities. Exercises for kids enhance their physical development. In the early stages of child growth, early childhood development is dependent on appropriate exercises for children. Because kids play is good for kids health.

I am a firm believer that one of the best ways we can educate our children about physical literacy is to provide them with a model. With that said, I am by no means an athlete nor am I in the best physical shape but I do enjoy a variety of physical activities such as bike riding, going for a walk and even running. In fact, the kids and I recently participated in a 5k run hosted by their school in support of Free the Children, and in a few weeks, I will be participating in my third Warrior Dash. I've even attempted wall climbing as well as treetop trekking and the high ropes at Blue Mountain. Last fall, I signed up for boot camp with fellow colleagues and it has proven to be quite an experience. Since starting boot camp, I have managed to increase the number of regular push-ups I can do from two to 20! We sometimes share the gym with the after school daycare and I often catch some of my students peaking through the divider but I have to tell myself it's okay for them to see me all fatigued with disheveled hair. Because really, they need to see that physical activity is important at every age. Finally, one of my all-time favourite ways to get active is through yoga. While I don't practice as regularly as I used to, I find the sum of my experiences has made me more aware of my posture and breathing. And yeah, I have pretty much mastered the Sirsasana II, also known as the tripod headstand.

Just hanging around upside down, getting my yoga on. Check out my @activeforlifeca Role Model spotlight! {Link in bio.} #AfLfamily #physicalliteracy #physicalactivity #yoga #namaste #headstand #tripod #sirsasana #fitness #instayoga #yogaselfie

A photo posted by Diana (@torontomom) on May 3, 2016 at 1:14pm PDT

Head on over to activeforlife.com to learn more about physical literacy and to read their latest Active for Life Role Model Spotlight featuring yours truly. Namasté!