Empowering Healthy Kids Blog

Growing evidence shows that not only does a healthy body lead to a healthy mind, but a smart one too:

The California Department of Education (CDE) looked for a correlation between fitness scores and test scores. They found that kids who were deemed fit (by a standard test of aerobic capacity, BMI, abdominal strength, trunk strength, upper body strength and overall flexibility) scored twice as well on academic tests as those that were unfit.  In the second year of the study, socio-economic status was taken into account, to possibly eliminate that variable as an explanation. As expected, those in the upper-income brackets scored better overall on the academic tests, but within the lower-income set of students, the same results were observed — kids who were more fit performed better academically.

Also from the article, a quote fromJohn Ratey, a Harvard clinical associate professor of psychiatry:

In his latest book, “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” (2008, Little, Brown), John Ratey, a Harvard clinical associate professor of psychiatry, argues for more physical fitness for students as a cure for not only their obesity but also their academic performance.

“I cannot underestimate how important regular exercise is in improving the function and performance of the brain.” Ratey writes. “Exercise stimulates our gray matter to produce Miracle-Gro for the brain.” That “Miracle-Gro” is a brain chemical called brain-derived neurotropic factor, or BDNF. When we exercise, our working muscles send chemicals into our bloodstream, including a protein known as IGF-1.

Once in the brain, IGF-1 orders the production of more BDNF. The additional BDNF helps new neurons and their connections grow. In addition, levels of other neurotransmitters are increased after a strenuous exercise session.

“Dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine — all of these are elevated after exercise,” says Ratey. “So having a workout will help focus, calming down, and impulsivity — it’s like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin.”

Sandy Hopkins from Delaware Trail Elementary uses video games to promote physical activity:

Today, thanks to a grant from an educational foundation at her school that supports innovative teaching ideas in the classroom, Hopkins’ students play their way to physical fitness with “Dance, Dance, Revolution” and “EyeToy” for Sony’s PlayStation 2.

Hopkins operates the games as a station, with 3-4 screens and dance mats. Six students typically use the station at one time, and those who are waiting to play use practice dance mats she has created out of carpets and tape. Jump ropes or stationary bikes are sometimes provided at the station as well. Every student is expected to remain active during the entire period.

I believe that novel ideas using technology will increase across schools as teachers try to find new ways to motivate and engage with kids. I have talked with a number of teachers and one constant struggle (other than budgets) is coming up with new creative ideas to teach and inspire kids to learn - thus the number of individual teacher-led innovations will continue to grow.

My philosophy towards public health and social problems is to find work on the solution from the ground up. Start with the individual, then family, then local community, then state, then national. This is why I like this initiative - the solution is skewered towards the local community:

Picking up the phone may not be the best form of exercise, but the CanDo Coalition is hoping people will do it to help defeat obesity.

The local nonprofit organization is using an automated telephone survey to gather information on the health needs of Loveland residents, so the group can plan ways to help local residents eat better, get active and prevent obesity.

The CanDo Coalition began in 2003, Englert said, as a response to the obesity rate in Larimer County, which had doubled during the previous 10 years.

The founding organizations were the Poudre Valley Hospital Foundation, Colorado State University and the city of Fort Collins.

Over the past five years, the CanDo Coalition has worked with Fort Collins schools, employers, health care professionals, new mothers, low-income residents and older adults to improve residents’ health habits.

In the schools, CanDo created a “School Wellness Kit” for teachers and parents, to help them find ways to get children to eat healthier, exercise more and limit TV, computer and video-game time.

The coalition also has helped Fort Collins businesses start exercise, weight-management and stress-management programs.

The funding for the Loveland expansion came from LiveWell Colorado, a partnership of health care organizations, charitable foundations, nonprofit organizations and public health agencies.

Keokuk Schools in Iowa boosts PE support:

The Keokuk schools landed a nearly $350,000 grant to beef up the weight room, provide aerobic fitness equipment and promote a more active lifestyle for students from kindergarten through high school.

The weight and aerobic equipment will not only help physical education students achieve better fitness. High school athletes will have more equipment for training.

The new equipment will be ordered in July. The high school will receive about $74,000 worth of weight lifting equipment such as free weights and non-aerobic machines. Delivery and installation will cost $7,100.

Aerobic equipment, such as treadmills, stairmasters, elliptical cross trainers and stationary bicycles and other machines also will be installed, worth about $63,000.

A major component of the grant is professional development for teachers relating to the new equipment along with funds for curriculum development.

The Carol M. White Physical Education Program Grant also includes equipment to monitor cardio-vascular fitness, new lap top computers and PDAs (personal digital assistants) for P.E. teachers to collect data.

Keokuk Middle School and the elementary students are not left out.

Nearly $17,900 in new equipment is planned, including digital pedometers, body fat analyzers, digital scales, resistance tubes and exercise balls.

The middle school also will get aerobic fitness equipment such as stationary bicycles and stairmasters.

All K-12 physical education teachers will be involved in the grant using the new equipment and in training. Playground supervision staff also will receive training in after-school workshops. The focus will be to increase activities at K-5 recess.

I like this initiative as it actually does empower and enable students to use the fitness equipment. Good to also see a portion devoted to training teachers too.

NSW Government launches a pre-school programme:

Munch and Move is a fun, games-based program for NSW preschools.  It supports the healthy development of young children by promoting physical activity, healthy eating and reduced small screen time (TV, DVD, computers).

• Children will have the opportunity to engage in skills-based active play and learn about healthy choices through a range of learning experiences.
• Parent focused support materials, including fact sheets will provide simple tips and ideas for practising healthy, active behaviours at home .

The program is a joint initiative of the NSW Department of Health, the NSW Department of Community Services and The University of Sydney.

A mind-body link found in Ontario:

When a quarter-million Ontario school children were prepping for last week’s province-wide tests in the “3 Rs,” they may have overlooked a surprising study tool.

The workout.

New Ontario research shows schools that push fitness and nutrition have watched their standardized scores rise by as much as 50 per cent over two years in Grade 3 reading and 39 per cent in Grade 3 math – outscoring other schools in similar neighbourhoods by about eight points across all three subjects.

A landmark study of 33 Ontario schools that are part of a health drive called Living Schools – where students exercise each day, play extra sports and are discouraged from eating junk food – saw overall scores climb by 18 per cent over two years in reading, writing and math, compared to about 4 per cent for similar schools not in the provincially funded program.

Principals also said there were fewer fights and better attendance.

From The Age:

A NATIONAL campaign to combat obesity by using sports equipment to reward children who exercise for an hour a day will be discussed this week at a meeting of education ministers.

Under the plan, which is being introduced in the ACT this year, all schools would be invited to participate in a 10-week competition, with equipment given to children who successfully meet the challenge.

The exercise need not happen in one session and could be accumulated during the day by walking or riding to school, participating in physical education at school and sport after school and on weekends

I wonder though - wouldn’t children who want sport equipment are already motivated to play sports in the first place? In any case, as long as the competition is voluntary, this seems like a good idea.

I stumbled upon a new initiative by New Zealand’s Ministry of Education called Fuelled 4 School:

Fuelled 4 School is about helping students be at their best all day, every day. We’re part of Mission-On, a campaign aimed at getting young New Zealanders to eat better and be more active.

This website is here to provide you with advice and support in making lifestyle choices that will help you achieve your goals – both in and out of school.

I like the design and it’s features such as txt updates and a link to their Bebo group.

It’s great to see schools come up with innovative solutions to legislation. Last fall, Florida passed a bill to mandate that students from Kindergarten to Grade 5 required to do 150 minutes of exercise per week. As TampaBay.com reports, some schools are resorting to measuring their 150 minutes in 5 minute or even less exercise blocks. Here are some examples:

• When the law went into effect last fall, some — including Hillsborough — began counting 5-minute exercise breaks and short walks around campus as exercise.
• For five minutes, the kids practice clapping, flying, jumping, marching, lunging and high-fiving. Then the activity break ends.
• Choosing to stick to a plan that has allowed elementary kids to receive daily PE instruction for the past 30 years. The catch: They group several classes together and rely on PE assistants for supervision.

Here are two schools’ methods of meeting the targets:

A typical 30-minute PE session at Cross Bayou Elementary School

Walking from the classroom to the PE field: 3 minutes

Stretching/warming up: 5 minutes

Running a quarter mile: 4 minutes

Instructional time*: 15 minutes

Walking back to the classroom: 3 minutes

*This includes the teacher’s explanation of the activity and the activity itself, which could be passing a basketball, shooting hoops or kicking a soccer ball.

Dale Mabry Elementary: How one school fits in 150 minutes of PE for fourth-graders each week

PE class: 60 minutes

Teacher-directed PE: 60 minutes

Movement in classroom: 20 minutes

Health education: 10 minutes

Meal diaries, nutritional Web sites, activities about 5 minutes

My own opinion is that while this may not be was legislators had in mind, focussing more attention on physcial activity is good. But more importantly the 150 minute targets allow schools the freedom (but not necessarily the resources nor expertise in some cases) to pursue innovative and creative solutions for their students. It would be an interesting research study to see the outcomes of this legislature and the various methods that schools employ actually makes a difference on children’s health.

San Marcos students now have to pass high school fitness tests under a new California law:

The new law, which goes into effect with this year’s freshmen class, is geared toward students who have room for improvement on the statewide physical fitness test —- the so-called Fitnessgram.

The test is designed to measure categories such as muscle strength, endurance, flexibility and aerobic capacity, the body’s ability to generate energy with the use of oxygen.

Results of the test are reported each year in grades five, seven and nine, and are based on students’ performance in six tasks: curl-ups, trunk lifts, push-ups or pull-ups, shoulder stretches, body composition and a 1-mile run.

While students are required to take two years of physical education to graduate high school, the new law requires students who do not pass at least five of the six tasks on the test in ninth grade to continue to enroll in physical education until they pass. Physical education is not required after the sophomore year, but students can still take it as an elective.