By Tavi Baker, MPH
Citywide Director of Youth Leadership Programs
Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco
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As we continue to undergo this period of sheltering in place, it can be increasingly challenging to maintain a healthy lifestyle for ourselves and our young people. Experiencing an ongoing trauma like this pandemic, on top of loss of income and housing and food insecurity, can affect every part of daily life. In addition, this prolonged break in normalcy and routine can cause many negative influences to our health, including increased stress and anxiety, lack of access to healthy food, a decrease in physical activity, loss of sleep, and an overall decline in mental health, particularly as we experience the loss of physical connection to loved ones (read more about how to manage stress and support your children during these turbulent times in our recent blog posts.)
As a Club leader with almost 20 years of youth development and health education experience and a master’s degree in Public Health, I want to share some advice on how to keep yourself and your family healthy and active during this unparalleled time in our history. I also reached out to two of our Club teens to get their thoughts on how youth can stay healthy right now.
Here are five tips on how to incorporate nutrition and physical activity into your daily routine, even with limited resources*:
More fitness resources:
Read more great tips for parents and youth on how to manage stress and promote good mental health, and how to navigate through the challenges of school at home, in our recent blogs!
*BGCSF recognizes that some families may not have access to resources during this time. We are here to help. If you need assistance, please feel free to reach out to your local Clubhouse or School-Based Club, Camp Mendocino, or to our Behavioral Health Services team at bhs@kidsclub.org.
At BGCSF, we aspire to be the healthiest place for youth in San Francisco. Every day at the Club, we provide nutritious snacks and meals, fun and engaging fitness activities and competitive sports, to get Club members excited about leading a healthy lifestyle. Also, through health education, we teach Club members how to make healthy choices for immediate and long-term health benefits, while setting themselves up for success in school. Learn more about our health and life skills programs here.
Tavi Baker has been with Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco for more than 13 years. Prior to stepping into her current role as Citywide Director of Youth Leadership Programs in 2017, Tavi served as Citywide Director of Health & Fitness for more than eight years. Tavi earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from U.C. Berkeley and her master’s degree in Public Health from UCLA.
Over the years, I’ve met countless San Francisco youth who are passionate about changing the world. Many of our youth members come from marginalized communities of color. Too often, their voices are ignored and overlooked. Our kids need support to find their voices and platforms to share their perspectives. At Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, they get that and so much more!
At Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco safety is a core part of our culture. We understand and accept that we have a moral responsibility to protect children from harm. Read more from BGCSF President Rob Connolly on how we make safety our #1 priority.
We are proud to announce that Chief Operating Officer Maxine Wilson has been named the 2020 recipient of the Herman S. Prescott Award for the Pacific-West Region by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, for her work towards diversity, equality, and empowerment.