Learning to ride a bike is an essential skill that we often take for granted. It serves as a rite of passage for many children, marking a transition from being dependent on others to having autonomy and independence. Bike riding is also a fun and beneficial activity that can improve physical and mental health, develop skills, promote socialization, and support the environment.
Physical health: One of the most significant advantages of learning to ride a bike is the opportunity to exercise and promote health benefits. It improves aerobics fitness by strengthening the heart, lungs, and muscles; while also helping to develop important skills such as balance, coordination, and spatial awareness. Exercise from biking regularly can also help prevent obesity and related health issues, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Mental health & skills development: Riding a bike can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression and boost self-confidence. It is an accomplishment that requires persistence, practice, and patience. The sense of achievement that comes from mastering a new skill can carry over into other areas of life by helping to build self-esteem, resilience, and a can-do attitude.
Promote socialization: Biking can also be a great social activity that connects families and encourages bonding and quality time. It also provides an opportunity to interact with peers and foster and develop friendships.
Environmental and economic benefits: Another advantage of learning to ride a bike is its practical benefits. Bikes are an eco-friendly mode of transportation that promotes sustainability and reduced pollution. They can be used to commute to work or school, run errands, and explore new places. Biking can also save money on gas and parking fees and be faster than driving in congested areas.
Tillamook County Wellness Bike Rodeo
The benefits of biking extend far beyond childhood, and it is a skill that should be encouraged and cultivated throughout one’s life. That is why Tillamook County Wellness has joined the all kids bike movement and is hosting a free bike rodeo event at the Tillamook YMCA during Healthy Kids Day on April 29th from 10am-noon. A bike rodeo is an event that teaches children bike safety and provides a fun and interactive experience to practice bike handling skills. Activities include bike inspections, helmet fittings, obstacle courses, safety demonstrations, and prize drawings for participating. This event can help increase confidence and comfort when riding a bike, reducing the risk of bike-related injuries and accidents. It is geared towards children K-8th grade, and bicycles will be available or can be brought from home. There will also be a bike tune-up booth for families to bring bikes that need minor fixes such as brake alignment or a new chain.
Tillamook County Wellness is partnering with WashCo Bikes to lead the bike rodeo and also provide free refurbished bicycles to children and adults in need through the Adopt-a-Bike program. There are no specific eligibility requirements or age restrictions; however, this program is intended to provide a free bicycle to those who may not be able to acquire one otherwise. To apply for a bike, an Adopt-a-Bike application (see spanish application here) must be completed before Thursday, April 27th, 2023. WashCo Bike’s goal is to donate 5,000 bikes to kids and families in 2023 and is also currently accepting bicycle and money donations to continue to support this effort. If you feel inspired to help, go to their website and scroll down to Donate Now.
Efforts to improve biking trails and outdoor physical activity
Some great efforts are underway in the region to expand biking access to the Tillamook County community. The coastal segment of the Salmonberry Trail project aims to connect communities from Mohler to Tillamook via a bike path. This would provide an alternative means of transportation for community members to commute to work, access stores, visit neighboring towns, and a way for kids to safely bike to school. The Tillamook Off Road Trail Alliance (TORTA), a volunteer-based non-profit organization that builds, maintains, and advocates for off-road bike trails, has been supporting the Nestucca Valley School District in building a bike skills course and bike trails. They are also developing a bike trail system called the Buzzard Butte Trail Network, encompassing over 30 miles of trails on the east side of Sand Lake between Cape Kiwanda and Cape Lookout in the USDA Siuslaw National Forest. Information about these projects and other outdoor opportunities and events happening at our national and state parks will be available at the bike rodeo. If you are interested in supporting any of these efforts, please check out the organization and project websites for opportunities to contribute, including donations.
Tillamook County Wellness would like to send a special thank you to the Tillamook Kiwanis Club, whose generous donations are sponsoring this bike rodeo, as well as future events in the county. For questions and inquiries about this bike rodeo event and future efforts by Tillamook County Wellness to inspire and promote biking in the county, please contact Mari Tasche at tasche@ohsu.edu.
AUTHOR: Mari Tasche works for Oregon Health & Science University, she is an exercise physiologist and co-chair of the Access to Physical Activity (APAC) Committee for Tillamook County Wellness.
You may be familiar with physical wellbeing or mental wellbeing, but what about financial wellbeing? Financial wellness focuses on our relationship with money and how we feel about the control we have over our financial future. If you’ve felt stressed about money, you’re not alone! Most of us experience a range of emotions when it comes to finances, and finding a starting point can feel overwhelming.
The connection between financial stress and mental and physical health led us at Tillamook County Wellness to focus the last few months on financial wellbeing. Thanks to a donation of time, Liz Carroll, Financial Life Coach at Mindful Money Coaches LLC, has provided insight and guidance for us to share on how to develop a healthier relationship with finances.
You may have seen some of the videos that Liz has created as part of a financial wellness mini-series that we have been sharing on the Tillamook County Wellness Facebook page. Each of the 15 videos are just a couple minutes long and cover a range of topics such as how to create goals & set guidelines, use different approaches for eliminating debt, set up “budget billing” where utility companies distribute your costs evenly over the year, and shift out of a negative mindset when it comes to organizing finances. If you missed some of these videos, don’t worry – we have all of them linked on our new Financial Wellness page at https://tillamookcountywellness.org/work-well/financial-wellness/
We are also excited to announce that we will be hosting three (free!) virtual webinars in collaboration with Liz Carroll for community members who are interested in diving deeper into their financial wellness journey. These webinars will be held on Mondays from 12 pm to 1 pm during the month of May:
May 1st – Money Mindset: How we think about money matters
May 8th – Building a Budget: Managing spending habits
May 15th – Financial Planning Fundamentals: Planning for the future and staying on course
These webinars are open to all community members – join for one or join for all! You can find the registration link here or on the Tillamook County Wellness Facebook page.
If you have any questions about the upcoming webinars, please reach out to Michelle at jenckmd@ah.org. We hope to see you all there!
Spring is in the air, and April is upon us. It is the time of year everyone starts going outside to garden, exercise, and spend time with others in the community. April 5th is National Walking Day, and the walking groups in Tillamook County are ready to start back up to help everyone stay active by getting their daily steps in. Over the last several years, 10,000 steps a day has become the goal many people aim for in their daily fitness journey. That is a lofty goal for some people as 10,000 steps averages about 5 miles. However, 10,000 steps may not be the right amount for everyone.
The 10,000-step history:
In 1963 during preparations for the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, a prominent doctor in Japan expressed concern about the lack of physical activity among Japanese citizens. He wanted to find a way to encourage people to walk more and suggested 10,000 steps as a goal. In 1965 the manpo-kei pedometer, whose name translates to “10,000 steps meter”, was created. Some sources say 10,000 steps were chosen because the Japanese character for 10,000 resembles a person walking.
When wearable devices, such as FitBit, became popular for fitness tracking the 10,000-step goal was adopted. In an article for Fortune.com the CEO of FitBit conveyed the 10,000-step goal was selected because the company felt it was achievable for many people, and the amount of time needed to accomplish the 10,000-step goal fell within the recommended fitness guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control. This guideline recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week (30 minutes a day). This standard became rooted in the exercise consciousness of Americans as people began pushing themselves to reach this goal.
What the research shows:
With the popularity of the 10,000-step goal, researchers finally began looking into whether this amount of steps is an ideal amount to walk. Interestingly they found it is not. It turns out 10,000 steps is more than most people need. The recommended daily amount of steps varies depending on which research you are reading. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the benefits of walking peak at about 7,500 steps a day. This amount is closer to 3 to 3.5 miles a day, depending on how tall someone is. A second study published in Nature Medicine indicates the optimal number of steps to ward off disease is 8,200 a day or about 4 miles.
Staying physically active every day is ideal for improving general health for everyone. Researchers all agree walking more improves your health by reducing the risk of many diseases. The less you walk, the more at risk you are for health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity.
For many people, 10,000 steps a day can appear overwhelming. Hopefully, knowing these lower daily step goals will make the idea of staying physically active more achievable. Walking is an activity that can be done anywhere in almost any weather. Yes, even in the rain. So get out there, move your body, and consider joining one of the walking groups to connect with people in the community. Your body will thank you for it.
Every year in March there are campaigns across the nation to bring awareness to Developmental Disabilities. This is a time where individuals with and without disabilities can share their experiences, their stories, and their advocacy for justice, equity, and inclusion. This is an opportune time for communities to unite and join forces with individuals with disabilities to advocate for resources for schools and education, resources for accessible sidewalks and buildings, and resources for the full spectrum of healthcare (physical, mental, emotional, social, and recreational). You may not be aware of this, but President Ronald Regan recognized March as Developmental Disabilities awareness month in 1987. His goal was to “increase the public awareness of the needs and potential of Americans with developmental disabilities” and provide the “encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential” (National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, 2023). 1 in 6 children, ages 3-17, are diagnosed with a developmental disability in the United States between 2009-2017 (Zablotsky et al., 2019).
Autism Acceptance Month
April’s Autism Awareness began with a campaign in 1972 called the “National Autistic Children’s Week”, this eventually changed into what became Autism Awareness month, and now it is known as Autism Acceptance month (National Today, 2023). The Autism Society’s goals are to increase acceptance and ignite change, and ultimately improve outcomes for individuals and families who experience autism (National Today, 2023). Autism spectrum disorder is classified as a developmental disability, and everyone will have their own specific set of strengths, challenges, and difficulties. Some of these areas include communication, sensory processing, social skills, adaptive skills, and behavior. Individuals may need a range of supports from very little, where they will be able to live completely independent, to needing significant daily support from one or more people (National Today, 2023). According to the CDC, autism rates are as high as1 in 44, and are 4 times higher in boys (Maenner et al., 2021).
The Connection with Mental Health
You may be asking why I am talking about this subject? Well, the answer is this; these are two populations whose mental health tends to get ignored and is very much at risk. There is evidence that shows youth with autism spectrum disorder have higher rates of depression and suicide than their neurotypical peers (Mayes et al., 2013). Researchers have found some evidence that “twice exceptional youth”, those with autism and have high IQ’s (120 or higher), are at an increased risk of suicidal thoughts compared to neurotypical youth in the same IQ range (Brown, 2023). This is concerning as high IQ has long been thought to be a protective factor against suicidal ideation (Brown, 2023). Individuals with developmental disabilities tend to experience higher rates of mental health conditions, but many times they do not receive appropriate mental health treatment due to the lack of understanding, training, and education about the specific needs of this population (Pinals et al., 2022).
Awareness, Acceptance, and Advocacy
Children and youth with developmental disabilities, including autism, may need specialized support at school. This may be even more important when they need mental health supports. Schools are in a unique position where they not only provide education, but they have resources to provide social-emotional learning for our children; this is a prime opportunity for all children to learn how to interact, foster self-management, and work cooperatively.
Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Time to Celebrate!)
I encourage everyone to take time to celebrate the diversity of people in this world. I encourage you to be inclusive of everyone, no matter their ability (or any other reason). Advocate for resources so that schools and communities can assure equitable access to buildings, sidewalks, education, and services, especially individualized education, and mental health services. By doing all of this we will increase educationally opportunities, increase pro-social behavior, and reduce mental health disparities for individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism.
AUTHOR: Dr. Danell Boggs, DBH, LCSW at Tillamook County Community Health Center
References
Brown, J. (2023). Autism combined with high IQ increases risk of suicidal thoughts. https://uihealthcare.org
Maenner, M., Shaw, K., Bakian, A., et al. (2021). Prevalence and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years – autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 11 sites, United States, 2018. MMWR Surveill Summ, 70(11) 1-16. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss7011a1
Pinals, D., Hoermale, L., Mauch, D., & Anacker, L. (2022). Persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the mental health system: part 1. Clinical considerations. Psychiatric Services, 73(3). Doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900504
Zablotsky, B., Black, L., Maenner, M., Schieve, L., Danielson, M., Bitsko, R., Blumberg, S., Kogan, M., & Boyle, C. (2019). Prevalence and trends of developmental disabilities among children in the US: 2009–2017. Pediatrics, 144(4):e20190811
2 Tablespoons maple syrup, agave or honey (see Notes)
1½ Tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 to 3 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons fruit jam (optional)
Directions
Wash hands with soap and water.
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the almond flour, hazelnut flour and cinnamon, if desired.
Add syrup and oil. Stir to mix in evenly.
Add 1 Tablespoon water at a time, stirring after each addition. The mixture will appear crumbly but will hold together to form a cookie.
Scoop 2 Tablespoons of mixture into your hand and shape into a ball. Press your thumb gently into the center of the dough to form a thumbprint. Place cookie on a parchment-covered or lightly-greased baking sheet.
Add a small amount of jam (any type) into the thumbprint of each cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottom edges of the cookies begin to brown.
To avoid breaking the cookies, let them cool completely before taking them off the pan.
Refrigerate or freeze leftover cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
Look for nut flours in the baking section of your grocery store. For best quality and freshness, store nut flours in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
If almond or hazelnut flour is coarsely ground, sift before measuring.
Try making your own nut flour in a food processor. Use short pulses of about 1 second each. Stop and scrape the bowl about every 10 seconds to be sure the grind is even and to stop before you grind the nuts into nut butter.
You can substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour for the almond flour.
No coconut oil? Use vegetable oil or melted butter or margarine instead.
Try a small piece of chocolate or a hazelnut in the thumbprint instead of fruit jam.
Honey is not recommended for children under 1 year old.
