Between 60 and 70 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Nearly a third of the nation’s youth age two to 19 are overweight or obese. We can’t stress enough the danger of obesity—it leads to serious health problems including heart disease, the leading cause of death in America. New generations of children face the [...]
National Association for Health and Fitness Forum Meeting 2012
April 25th, 2012
I had the pleasure of presenting/attending this gathering in Las Vegas, March 27-30th. The group meets every other year and partners with ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) which has their own Health and Fitness Summit immediately following.
What a enjoyable and memorable event! It was really nice to attend a meeting of less than 1,000 [...]
Physical Education (PE) Apps for Teachers
April 20th, 2012
Today, more and more teachers are looking for ways to integrate their smart phones and iPads (and other tablets) with their physical education and health courses. Below is a list of apps that we’ve found helpful for Physical Educators.
Click Here to view a recording of our webinar, [...]
How Does Physical Activity Affect Academic Performance?
April 19th, 2012
Phospholipid bilayers? Pythagorean Theorem? The Lusitania? Kennedy Who?
And so it goes. Students in every grade level at schools across the country are struggling in class. It’s not because they’re underachievers, or they’re not smart, or they don’t care. It’s because we’re working against them. The longer children and teens are forced to sit and grow [...]
Physical activity vs. PE: What’s the difference?
April 16th, 2012
Physical activity and physical education are two terms that are often mistakenly used interchangeably. While there are inherent similarities and overlapping, there’s one point that needs to be made clear—physical education and physical activity are not synonymous.
For example, say there are two children. Both get adequate physical activity—playing at recess, at home, and on the [...]
Hawaii’s Fun 5: SPARK After School “Island Style”
April 13th, 2012
At SPARK, we’ve been really fortunate to work with many terrific educators and researchers over the years. Our friends in Hawaii – Claudio Nigg and Paula Adams – are no exception. They took the lead on a physical activity and nutrition project they called “Fun 5,” and did an exemplary job of modifying SPARK After School to meet [...]
How to Plant Your Own Spring Garden
February 27th, 2012
Spring is the perfect season to start a new garden. It’s a fun and satisfying activity for the entire family, a great way to get some exercise, and you can even eat the results. Here are a few tips to get you going.
Survey Your Space
No place is too small for a garden; you can even [...]
Treat Spring Fever with These Fun Outings
February 23rd, 2012
Have you found that you and your family are feeling restless lately? Well, spring is nearly here, and it’s time to get off the couch and get outside. If playing Wii golf doesn’t cut it, then get the family together and start planning to get them back out in the world. Everywhere across the country [...]
Update on the 2012 Carol M. White PEP Grants
February 22nd, 2012
Latest news for the 2012 PEP Grants:
There will be no new PEP competition this year. Instead, the program will make new awards by funding down the slate of 2011 applicants. Therefore, no new or revised applications for PEP grants will be accepted in 2012. Applicants that did not win in 2011 may have [...]
Making Time for Exercise as a Family
February 20th, 2012
With hectic school schedules, work meetings, and tiring days, it’s hard to make time to exercise as a family. Televisions, video games, and constant Internet connectivity also don’t help us find the time to get outside and play together. But with some concerted effort and prior planning, making time to exercise as a family can [...]
