PEP Grant Links for Physical Activity and Nutrition Education
Articles on the FITNESSGRAM
Attached are several links to articles in reference to the FITNESSGRAM which are very informative.
Lisa Burleson-Longino, M.Ed., PEP Grant Manager (2016-2018)
Healthy Fitness Zones Cooper Institute
CMSD is utilizing the FITNESSGRAM for the Health In Motion Project. The goal in FITNESSGRAM is for children to achieve the Healthy Fitness Zone on as many assessments as possible. Because only modest amounts of activity are needed to obtain health benefits, most students who perform regular physical activity will be able to achieve a score that will place them within or above the Healthy Fitness Zone on most FITNESSGRAM test items. If children are in the Healthy Fitness Zone they are considered to have sufficient fitness for good health.
Lisa Burleson-Longino, M.Ed., PEP Grant Manager (2016-2018)
BMI Calculator
About Child and Teens BMI
This site provided information about Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI can be an indicator of high body fatness. BMI can be used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems but it is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual.
Lisa Burleson-Longino, M.Ed., Grant Manager (2016-2018)
National Physical Education Standards
Educators, Adminstrators, Parents, Students and Community Members:
SHAPE America develops the national standards and guidelines for physical education, and offers extensive professional development opportuities, cutting-edge resources and respected peer reviewed journals to help you become a leader in your classroom, institution and community.
Lisa Burleson-Longino, M.Ed., Physical Education Pedagogist Grant Manager (2016-2018)
Physical Activity VS Physical Education
The Health In Motion Physical Education for Progress Grant has taught the district alot about physical education and physical activity. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing! Although they work together like peanut butter and jelly, Physical Education and Physical Activity are two separate things and it's important for teachers and parents to understand the difference. The information was provided by SPARKS Blog.
Lisa Burleson-Longino, M.Ed., Physical Education Pedagogist Grant Manager (2016-2018)
Physical Activity
any bodily movement that involves physical exertion
- A physical activity program gets you up and moving, in some form. This can include recreational sports, fitness classes, after-school programs, and recess.
- Physical activity is unstructured
- Kids can make their own choices and create their own rules
- Helpful for learning social skills and problem solving techniques
- Just some of the things that count as physical activity…
- Dancing
- Walking the dog
- Doing push-ups
- Throwing a baseball
- Playing tag at recess
- And much more!
- Physical activity is one part of a physical education program but physical activity can be found in many areas outside of physical education.
- Physical activity should be incorporated throughout the day: before and after school, and during recess
Physical Education
curriculum-based program that teaches students the benefits of physical activity, builds techniques for leading an active lifestyle, and promotes lifelong healthy habits.
- A physical education program not only gets children moving, but also teaches them why that activity is important, what types of activity benefit your body, and how you can stay active throughout your life.
- Physical education is structured
- Students are taught how to play and skills needed to play
- Students learn the rules for how to play games and participate
- There is a structured warm-up and cool down
- Physical education teaches children the importance of being physically active and about the human body and body systems
- Physical education programs include:
- A written curriculum, with clear objectives
- Some form of grading or assessment
- Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes
- Physical activity for most of the class time
- Lessons in ways to lead a healthy lifestyle through physical activity, nutrition, fitness, and social responsibility
- Physical education incorporates physical activity, along with many other things, to form a complete program.
Do You Need Both?
Yes, you do!
According to SHAPE America, physical activity should make up at least 50% of a physical education program.
Benefits of Physical Activity:
- Releases endorphins
- Children who get at least 15 minutes of recess a day behave better in class than students who get less than 15 minutes a day.
- Strengthens muscles / bone density
- Children ages 6-17 should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day, according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
- Reduces risk for diabetes, obesity, depression, and heart disease
- Enhances cognition
- Children respond to cognitive tasks faster and with greater accuracy after a session of physical activity.
Benefits of Physical Education:
- Teaches safe and correct exercise techniques
- Promotes good nutrition and understanding of the body
- Encourages lifelong health habits, decreases chances of unhealthy adult lifestyle
- Overweight teens have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
- Enhances academic performance
- Endurance exercise increases oxygen to the brain, strengthens neurotransmitters, and stimulates brain growth improving your ability to think, learn, and retain information.
- In physically fit children, the hippocampus (region of the brain affecting learning and memory) is roughly 12% larger than less fit children.
- In a study of D.C. schools, students received higher standardized math scores when schools provided at least 90 minutes of physical education per week.
- Builds skills in setting and achieving goals
Let's Move Physical Activity
America's Move to Raise A Healthier Generation of Kids
"In the end, as First Lady, this isn’t just a policy issue for me. This is a passion. This is my mission. I am determined to work with folks across this country to change the way a generation of kids thinks about food and nutrition."
Former First Lady Michelle Obama
Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the Former First Lady Michelle Obama, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Sure, this is an ambitious goal. But with your help, we can do it.
Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let’s Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years; giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices; providing healthier foods in our schools; ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food; and, helping children become more physically active.
At the launch of the initiative, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum creating the first-ever Task Force on Childhood Obesity to conduct a review of every single program and policy relating to child nutrition and physical activity and develop a national action plan to maximize federal resources and set concrete benchmarks toward the First Lady’s national goal. The Task Force recommendations focus on the five pillars of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative:
- Creating a healthy start for children
- Empowering parents and caregivers
- Providing healthy food in schools
- Improving access to healthy, affordable foods
- Increasing physical activity
Everyone has a role to play in reducing childhood obesity, including parents and caregivers, elected officials from all levels of government, schools, health care professionals, faith-based and community-based organizations, and private sector companies. Your involvement is key to ensuring a healthy future for our children.
My Plate, Online Tools and Popular Topics
To CMSD Parents, Students, Teachers and Community Partners:
MyPlate is a reminder to find your healthy eating style and build it throughout your lifetime. Everything you eat and drink matters. The right mix can help you be healthier now and in the future. This means:
- Focus on variety, amount, and nutrition.
- Choose foods and beverages with less saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
- Start with small changes to build healthier eating styles.
- Support healthy eating for everyone.
Eating healthy is a journey shaped by many factors, including our stage of life, situations, preferences, access to food, culture, traditions, and the personal decisions we make over time. All your food and beverage choices count. MyPlate offers ideas and tips to help you create a healthier eating style that meets your individual needs and improves your health.
Lisa Burleson-Longino, M.Ed., PEP Pedagogist/Grant Manager (2016-2018)