Red Rover, Red Rover... Let's Learn To Play Again Memorial Day - Life Coach Millie Grenough Recommends Playing Basic Games for Better Health

STAMFORD, CT, May 25, 2011 (Press-News.org) When was the last time you spent a Sunday afternoon simply playing games? If you remember skipping rope, hopping across the hopscotch court drawn with sidewalk chalk, calling Marco Polo in a variety of voices and pitches, walking around a circle of people and tapping them on the head saying Duck, Duck, Goose and then being chased until you got caught or made it back to the circle, have you ever wondered why no one plays anymore? Or at least why no one plays like that any more?

In this age of high-tech gadgets and computerized everything, children spend the majority of their "play" time indoors while they are sitting. Granted, their eye-hand coordination might be extraordinary, but the rate of obesity among children and adolescents in the United States has nearly tripled between the early 1980s and 2000.

There is more to the story than just that we are allowing the younger generation to limit their physical activities. According to Millie Grenough, life coach and Clinical Instructor at Yale University, "We know that obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. We know further that obesity and physical inactivity can have a direct correlation with increased incidences of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and other medical conditions."

It's not just the resultant medical conditions and the enormous cost to treat them, Grenough continues. "The emotional and intellectual costs are high. We are not teaching our children to use their imaginations and creativity to entertain and amuse themselves. When there is little real play in our lives and when we don't move our bodies, our chances of depression and poor self-esteem shoot up enormously - to say nothing of our ability to navigate complex challenges and imagine new ideas."

What about the effect on our social interactions? People are spending less and less time with their families, and much less face-to-face times with friends and colleagues. This goes for both children and adults. Ask yourself: "Were my children healthier - and was I healthier and happier - before the days of cell phones and iPads?"

In honor of Memorial Day, Grenough recommends bringing back those good old childhood games that we remember so fondly, like Mother, May I and Kick the Can. Start your summer season with sizzling good fun! When asked why, Grenough continued, "These games include all the elements of learning, like numbers and letters, and they get your whole body moving- not just your thumbs. With these games, we teach our children about social interaction, sharing, leadership skills, and even stick-to-itiveness. It also gives us quality time with our kids: we get to see them in action, and they interact with us. Best of all in these tough economic times, most of these games have little or no cost. For the price of a box of chalk and a ball, family fun days can begin."

Think back to the days of kites, jacks and pick up sticks. And think ahead to the future - for your children and for you. Simply jumping rope can provide better cardiac health. And it's fun! The spiritual, physical, mental and emotional benefits are tremendous.

At a recent keynote presentation to 350 parents, Grenough asked, "Twenty years from now, do you want your children to have larger thumbs or healthier hearts?"

To a corporate client who complained that he was always fatigued, was losing his sharp edge, and never had time to be with his family, Grenough asked three questions:
1) "How old are your kids?" He said, "He's six, she's nine."
2) "Do you have a buck to spare?" "Sure."
3) "Can you make a promise to set aside 15 minutes twice this week to be outside with your kids?" "That might be hard, but I believe I can."
She gave him his "homework": Buy a jump rope. Make two definite jump-rope dates with your kids. Do it.

So, what can you do to get yourself outside and into action? Grenough suggests these specific actions:
1. Make a list of your three favorite outdoor games you played as a child.
2. Teach one of those games to someone younger than you.
3. Next week, play that same game - but have the younger person teach you. Then share a new game.

If you want to be more adventurous, ask someone 15 years older than you what games they played as a kid:
- Compare your lists
- Ask them to teach you how to play one of their games

If reducing your stress and enjoying your life matters, treat yourself to an OASIS in The Overwhelm and start playing again. Find more practical and simple strategies in Grenough's book OASIS in the Overwhelm, available at www.milliegrenough.com or www.amazon.com.

Millie Grenough, Coach, Speaker, Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, is the author of OASIS in the Overwhelm: 60-second strategies for balance in a busy world and OASIS in the Overwhelm 28 Day Guide: Rewire Your Brain from Chaos to Calm and OASIS en la Adversidad.