Spring... Time for Youth to Get Going!

By Catherine Steele

Spring is almost here! The ice and snow will soon be gone, and we will be able to get out and about much more easily! It’s time to think of going out and having fun!

Do you know how much television 249 Ontarian youth with physical disabilities, aged 11 to 16 years, watch per day? Thirty per cent of these youth watch more than four hours a day.

OK... so what percentage of youth (same age) from a Canadian national sample watch television more than four hours a day? ...Do you think the percentage would be higher or lower? The answer is 13 per cent -- much lower.

Now, there is nothing wrong with watching television ... some television programs are a "must." In winter, when it’s cold and hard to manoeuvre outside, television is an easy, convenient pastime.

However, more than four hours a day may be excessive. There are other activities that could be more beneficial than watching television -- more stimulating both physically and mentally. These other activities could lead to better health, to a higher self-esteem, and to more fun. Spring seems like the perfect time to seek alternatives to being a "super-duper" television watcher.

Let’s see what you could do instead of pushing a television button.You could go for a walk or wheel with a friend, go for a bicycle/tricycle ride, watch the birds return from the sunny south, plan or help plant a garden, devise a fun exercise program, go to the library or community centre, read a book, listen to or make music, play a board or card game, have friends over, join a team or club, take a class and learn something new and interesting, or volunteer to help others, at home or outside.

These are some ideas. There are many, many, many other activities that you could do besides watching television. You may have a disability, but you can be well and active. You can do things that will keep you healthy and happy. So turn off the television, and away you go to a
great spring!

We want to know your alternatives to television watching. We hope to develop health promotion ideas for youth with physical disabilities. If you have any comments or suggestions for health promotion, let us know at (416) 425-6220 (or 1-800-363-2440), ext.642. Or contact us by e-mail: ortccs@oise.on.ca

(Catherine Steele is part of a health promotion team including Douglas Biggar, Joseph Bortolussi, Jeffrey Jutai, Ilze Kalnins and Beth Ellen Rossen from the Hugh MacMillan Rehabilitation Centre (HMRC) and the University of Toronto.)