Shannon Eriksen, a summer student and recreation program leader with Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, is hoping more people will take interest in RDOS Play Physical Activity Trailer.
As part of his job, he travels around to communities in the Similkameen and South Okanagan with a trailer full of equipment with the goal of promoting physical literacy and fundamental movement skills.
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The goal is to focus on safe play and help reduce sedentary behaviour by increasing access to recreation by motivating and building confidence, competence, knowledge, and the understanding to take responsibility for engaging in physical activities for life.
“What I try and do is make it feel like play, like you’re just goofing off in the park with friends, but when you look at it from a physical literacy lens, you’re seeing all these fundamental physical literacy skills being developed,” Eriksen said.
The equipment is available to rent at different costs depending on the type of organization renting the equipment.
“PAT” is full of equipment to promote physical activity such as disc golf, hula hoops, bocce, pickleball and much more.
During a session, Eriksen said he focuses on a range of fundamental movement skills with certain equipment. For example, a session on baseball, tennis and bocce would focus on throwing whereas using the slackline, which involves balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing, focuses on balance.
According to the RDOS website, about 1.5 million British Columbians are inactive and many who do report being active don’t get enough physical activity to meet the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology recommended activity guidelines.
The website also says barriers to physical activity include the unequal distribution of social and economic resources in some geographic locations and among population groups.
To get in touch for a PAT session, email rdosrec@rdos.bc.ca.
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