Michigan Moves Day Celebrates Active Living in Childhood Education

Each and every child deserves to grow up active, healthy, and energetic – but in Michigan, it’s never more unaffordable than now. According to the Michigan Moves Coalition, nearly one of every three kids throughout the state are overweight or obese, and fewer than 25% engage in daily activities at recommended levels. Those are facts that ring the alarm and they’re precisely the reason for the creation of Michigan Moves Day.

Held on the lawn of the Capitol in Lansing, Michigan Moves Day is not only an event – it’s a movement to rethink how we get our kids moving. On that special day, the dignified mood of the Capitol is given over to something more lively, such as a school playground. Over 300 students and educators did gather there, not to listen to distant speeches, but to walk, play, and raise awareness in the most energetic way one could possibly imagine.

The idea behind Michigan Moves Day is surprisingly straightforward but very powerful: move. As Mike Stack, Chair of Michigan Moves, explains, “We live in a world where the inactive choice is the easy choice.” And he’s right – thanks to screens, busy family schedules, and less time for unstructured play, no wonder children are moving less. What this event does is combat that trend and build healthier habits early.

The day’s theme for the event, graciously introduced by physical education activist Debra Berkey, was, “Be smart, exercise our heart –  finding our pulse is a good place to start.” It’s catchy, straightforward, and above all, true. Promoting physical activity isn’t necessarily about sports or gym class. It’s about being able to participate in all forms of physical activity hiking, dance, just playing tag or bicycling. As Berkey points out, by the age of 10, children are already beginning to decide if they enjoy being active, and therefore something must be done right away.

One of the highlights of the event was its inclusive message. Not all children are going to see themselves as an “athlete,” and that is fine. Mid-Michigan teacher Jeff Stevenson emphasized that the goal isn’t to turn every child into a sports star, but rather to help each one find an activity they genuinely enjoy. “We’re hoping that students who may not be the athletes are still gonna find something fun that they want to do,” he said. That sense of personal ownership finding your kind of movement is what helps physical activity become a lifelong habit.

Of course, activity has a desirable effect that extends much further than being physically based in nature. In addition to having shown itself to be an invaluable means of controlling one’s state of mind, especially at a young age, Stack continued to remark that routine physical exercise could be as good at controlling issues such as depression and anxiety as a doctor’s prescription. Given that mental difficulties are more common among youth nowadays, that’s good news to spread more than once.

Michigan Moves Day teachers supported this entire-child approach. They are aware that the more children get moving, they not just feel healthier physically – but they succeed better at school, they’re more engaged, and they have more positive relationships. “Movement is life,” Stevenson explained. “We can be smart and exercise our heart, but it’s everything. It’s gonna help our brain, it’s gonna help our brain cells.” That is, exercise stimulates not just muscles, but minds.

Michigan Moves Day is a reminder that promoting health isn’t simply other people’s business for parents, teachers, and health care providers – health is everybody’s business. When schools value movement, when communities provide safe places where children can play, and when days like today shine a spotlight on the cause, change can happen.

And let’s face it – kids have to move. Watch a kid at a playground and you’ll see the thrill, the creativity, the independence that comes in movement. But we have to give them the time, the room, and the help to get it done on a consistent basis. That’s why Michigan Moves Day is crucial.

In a world where it’s all too easy to just sit back, this event is a welcome wake-up call. It reminds us that health starts not in the doctor’s office – but in the little, joyful moments of movement every day. Whether it’s a game of hopscotch, a dance break at school, or a community rally on the Capitol lawn, every step brings Michigan’s kids closer to a healthier, happier tomorrow.

And so, as Michigan Moves Day draws to a close, its message stands: let’s integrate movement into everyday life. Not just one day a year, but each and every day because when our kids get moving, everyone wins.