Best of: The Importance of Playing on Your Health

Show Topic: Playing With Your Kids Increases Your Lifespan

Co-Hosts:  Judy Gaman, Mark Anderson, Walter Gaman

Guest: Ken Seiter 

 

Segment 1

Intro

Discussion   

Today is all about the importance of play, did you know that playing with your kids and grandkids will increase your lifespan – it’s true.

(Connect) Reminisce about the things our parents did with us (or not) and the things we have enjoyed doing with our own kids.

 (Inspire)  challenge the people listening right now to plan some play time each week

MUSIC FOR DOC SHOCK 

Study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine, looked at over 15,000 people and found that eating a diet high in fruits, veggies, nuts, and legumes, such as the Mediterranean can prevent the onset of depression. Basically, the study results show that depression is most likely linked to nutrient deficits, something that we have seen in our practice as well.

Read the Study Here!

 

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Segment 2

 

Intro

Coming up – we are going to our special guest Ken Seiter, a VP at the Toy Association and an expert on the importance of play.

ANDERSON - Immortal minute

“This Immortal Minute is brought to you by - Solis mammography – exceptional experience and exceptionally accurate results”

 

 Today’s show is all about the importance of play and we are visiting with Ken Seiter who holds a Master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota. He is the VP of Marketing Communications at the Toy Association where he oversees the development, implementation and oversight of the Association’s communications strategies, key messaging and brand integrity programs.

 

Discuss

1. Tell us about the Genius of Play Movement
2. The Toy Industry Association recently conducted a survey on how and when parents play with their kids. Tell us about the findings of that survey
3. Research points to direct correlation between play and stress reduction – this is true for kids as well as adults. A group of researchers at the Kansas State University studied single mothers, who often experience higher levels of parental stress. According to their findings, the mothers who engaged daily in playful activities with their kids, such as reading stories or playing games, had lower levels of stress.
4. Today’s highly scheduled children have less time for free play, and some react to the associated pressures with anxiety and increased stress. According to the clinical report “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, depression and anxiety in kids appear to be linked to lack of unstructured playtime.
5. Play has a proven therapeutic power. According to Dr. Cindy Dell Clark of Rutgers University, play – particularly pretend play - allows children to “act out” their feelings and dilemmas. Given enough time to engage in pretense, children playfully confront difficult meanings on their own terms.
6. Play is fun and, similar to physical activity and sports, can trigger release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. In addition, the social interaction of playing with others can help ward off stress and depression. A study of over 800 public school students showed that the highest levels of happiness in children occurred when they were playing or conversing with friends.
7. When stressful situations do arise, play helps people of all ages remain resilient through tough times. Developing a playful nature can help you loosen up, break the ice with strangers, make new friends, and form new business and personal relationships.

 

Segment 3

Intro 

Upcoming Dementia Defender 844-WELL100

 

We are talking about the importance of play. Sure, play is important to our kids development, but it also will help you as an adult live longer

 

Discuss

 

1. It’s important to your stress level and your happiness quotient that you have at least one activity that you do regularly just for fun. According to Dr. Stuart Brown, Founder of the National Institute of Play who has conducted over 6,000 play studies during his 40-year career, “Denying our need to play can have negative effect on our emotional well-being. The opposite of play is not work, its depression”.
2. Play empowers people to be flexible thinkers, creative, young-at-heart and free-spirited. Successful companies like Google recognize this by integrating opportunities to take a break into their workspaces. Others, including Coca-Cola, Unilever, Toyota and even NASA, have used “Lego Serious Play” method, which utilizes building bricks to unlock employee’s problem-solving abilities and encourage out-of-the-box thinking.
3. Play is also a great way for parents and other adult caregivers to strengthen the bond with the kids. In a survey of 500 US parents recently conducted by the Genius of Play, 93% said play helps them bond with their child.

Engaging our Kids to Play with us

1. Play board games – a great way for kids to learn following the rules and compromising, while developing problem-solving and strategy skills.
2. Engage in arts and crafts. These activities help young children develop fine motor skills, while fostering creativity and self-expression.

 

Coming up Medical Mania Trivia and then at the end of the show -  Dementia Defender Riddle of the day – your chance to win a free copy of the book Age to Perfection.

 

Segment 4

 

Intro 

 

MEDICAL TRIVIA  - Donna 

 

1. Which is stronger, once for ounce – A human bone or steel (Human Bone)
2. How many pounds of bacteria are in the average human body at one time? (4 lbs.)
3. During the average lifespan, how many barrels of blood does your heart pump? A. 15,000 B. 250,000 C. 1.5 Million (5 Million, enough to fill 200 train tank cars!)
4. True of false. Your heart can beat when temporarily detached from the body (True – it has its own electrical impulse)
5. At what age does your brain stop developing (Late 40s)

 

DEMENTIA DEFENDER

Question: A man in New York City has $10. He spends $6.50 on flowers, and $3 on lunch (hot coffee and a hot dog). He then gets on the subway which will take him 7 stops for 50 cents. But he is forced to get off of the subway just 5 stops away from where he began. Why is this?

End of Show

 

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