Clinicians and public health officials recommend that children engage daily in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, such as brisk walking, running, cycling, or playing outdoors. However, opportunities for children to be physically active during school days have decreased in most schools across the United States. Additionally, time spent on sedentary activities like watching TV or playing computer and other video games is increasing. More than 95 percent of America's school-aged children are enrolled in school. Aside from the time spent at home, schools are the places where children spend most of their time. Most experts—supported by many research studies—agree that physical activity improves children's health. Yet, most children don't get enough physical activity during the course of their days.
Due to shrinking budgets and pressures to improve academic test scores, formal physical education (PE) has been substantially reduced or even eliminated in many schools. The evidence of several controlled trials showed that substituting PE with additional instructional classroom time did not improve academic performance. In contrast, many studies found that regular participation in physical activity is associated with improved academic performance. A study conducted among 243 students from kindergarten through grade four found that students' on-task behavior increased significantly on the days with physical activity breaks. Other studies also showed that regular physical activity breaks enhanced academic performance, academic focus, and classroom behavior.*
The goal of this project is to provide more physical activity breaks to elementary school students during their school day. We plan to develop a DVD with short segments of physical activity breaks that can be done in a classroom setting.
Many classroom teachers are not trained or they may be uncomfortable demonstrating different exercise moves to their students. They may prefer to use these DVDs to provide physical activity breaks for their students. The exercises demonstrated in the DVDs will include stretching, yoga, flexibility, strengthening and aerobic moves such as jumping in place. Sports exercise students from Oregon State University will demonstrate the exercises with music in an engaging and fun way, while media students will be responsible for producing the DVD.
*Active Education. Physical Education, Physical Activity and Academic Performance. Active Living Research. Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity and Support Active Communities. Research Brief Summer 2009. Retrieved from www.activelivingresearch.org
