FARMINGTON – Dr. Nancy Cummings, an orthopedic surgeon with Franklin Orthopedics, will be the keynote speaker at an assembly on Wednesday, May 7, at Mount Blue Middle School.
She will address the importance for young people of building strong, healthy bones.
“I wish every child and parent could spend a day with me in the operating room and see the terrible cost of poor, bone health,” the surgeon said. “It doesn’t take an awful lot for children to prevent pain and disability throughout their lives.”
Some facts Cummings will relate include the fact that from ages 9 to the teen years, only 19 percent of girls and 52 percent of boys meet calcium recommendations. Calcium is important in building bone density. She also will talk about how good nutrition habits, including getting enough calcium, and exercise are both important for healthy, strong bones.
The assembly will consist of two 40-minute sessions. Students will listen to the presentation by Dr. Cummings and then participate in another 40-minute session dedicated to physical activity. The activities include “Manipulating Your Heart Rate,” kickboxing, hip-hop dance, Kempo karate, introduction to tai chi, American modern jazz dance and yoga. These sessions are being conducted by various community members and school staff who are dedicated to educating youth about the importance of lifelong fitness, organizers said.
The assembly is being held in conjunction with an international event. On May 7, ACES (All Children Exercising Simultaneously) will be celebrated. Each year, students and teachers around the world join together to exercise and promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. ACES is an international project, endorsed and promoted by the Maine Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Last year, 17,000 students from around the state participated in ACES, the organizers said.
All are welcome to participate with Project ACES on May 7. For more information about ACES, people can visit www.projectaces.com or www.mainephysicalactivity.org
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