Sparks were flying ... that was the hope of the main organizer of this month's Go Girl event hosted by the Be Fit for Life Centre at Portage College. A total of 96 girls between the ages of 6 and 17 took part in a day-long, activity filled event that saw them climbing the Portage College rock wall, learning to safely rollerblade and relaxing the body and mind with yoga classes.
"The goal is to spark their interest to try new things and discover that doing any physical activity is important to their overall well-being," said Be Fit For Life Centre Coordinator Deb Menard.
Hearing the shrieks of laughter and giggles of fun, it is easy to see the attraction of the high-energy event, which has been held five times since 2008. And Menard says the fun is almost a distraction to the important messages and learning that is actually going on.
"Physical activity is not only good for thephysical health, but also for the mind and spirit. It's holistic wellness," she said. "It also gets the kids interacting with each other, getting out of their comfort zones, discovering new things and emporting them to take on new challenges."
Speaking of new things, Menard hopes to bring a wide range of new and unique activities to future Go Girl events.
"I'd love to bring in fencing, cheerleading, gymnastics, archery and more," said the National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer.
Planning for each Go Girl event takes a lot of background preparation from a health and fitness perspective. It's not just about running around and playing, say health and lifestyle experts. According to organizations like Sport Canada and the Canadian Fitness and Lifesytle Research Institute, more than half of Canada's children and youth are not active enough and inactivity represents a significant health burden nationally. A 2002 study by the Canadian Pediatric Society showed that girls in particular are more prone to inacttivity around the age of puberty as they deal with self-image and confidence levels.
"Since research shows that girls start to drop out of sports and other physical activities from Grade 7 an onwards, this event gives girls the oportinity to try some non-typical physical activities in a a safe — social, emotional and physical — setting that is "girls only."
The response to this year's event, which is free to register and sponsored this year by Portage College, the Be Fit For Life Centre, The Lac La Biche Active Kids Society , the Lac La Biche Active Kids Society and That Yoga Spot, was very positive, said Menard.
But then again, you could see the results on almost every face during the day.
"What's best about this program is seeing the faces of these young girls light up when they try something new and discover they can do it," she said.
