Standing in an exercise room surrounded by 12 rambunctious 7- to 10-year-old
boys and girls can be somewhat daunting, but Abby Miller, certified trainer
in Functional Health, and Cody Tweeten, a
University of Wyoming kinesiology intern, act like it’s just another Thursday night in
Rehabilitation Services.
These children are spending an hour with Abby and Cody to learn about healthy
eating habits and exercises that will improve their athleticism.
The program,
ICAN, was developed because there was interest from children too young to participate
in the hospital’s
Excel Athletic Performance Program, which focuses on agility, balance, coordination, power and speed. Abby,
who has a bachelor's degree in nutrition, decided to incorporate nutritional
elements from another after-school program,
Individuals Combining Activity and Nutrition (ICAN), with the Excel program, and adapt the programs for the younger age group.
After the participants run through their activities, which include pushups,
bicep curls, planks, and sprinting drills, among others, they settle in
for a 15-minute nutrition session. Tonight the focus was on carbohydrates.
“So, what do you
think carbohydrates do for your body?” asks Abby. When she’s
faced with blank stares, she says, “Let’s break down the word.
The first part is car—what do you need to put in your car to make
it go?”
“Oh! It’s fuel for your body,” shouts one confident boy.
He proves to be right.
Abby continues her discussion on carbohydrates, covering what food groups
this dietary element is found in and how to select the healthiest options
for them to enjoy. The participants are given coloring sheets that highlight
the food groups, and later participate in a scavenger hunt to find healthy
carbohydrates to fuel their bodies.
This is the first year for the program and Abby feels it’s successful
because the participants are enthusiastic
to learn about exercising and being healthy athletes. “Parents have
told me that their kids go home and practice what they have learned that
day,” she says. “The fact that these kids are performingthese
exercises at home and working on their nutrition habits away from the
class makes me think we are being successful in establishing some healthy
behaviors.”
And that’s the ultimate goal: building healthy and active habits
for these children to share with their families and friends.
If you have a young athlete who may be interested in ICAN Excel, call 307.688.8102
to learn when the program will be offered again.
Follow CCMH on Facebook to see more photos taken from this night in the album
ICAN.
Campbell County Health
Rehabilitation Services in Gillette, Wyoming strives to help you and your family reach your maximum
potential through a variety of programs. For youth, CCH offers two options:
Excel Athletic Performance Program and the ICAN Program. All sessions
are held at Campbell County Health Rehabilitation Services in the upper
level of the Stocktrail Building in Gillette, Wyoming—on the corner
of Sixth Street and Stocktrail Avenue. Both programs have sessions starting
up in August; for session times and to register please call 307.688.8000.
Learn more about these programs at
www.cchwyo.org/excel.