Did you know that physical activity begins to decline as children approach their teenage years? This decline continues throughout adolescence leading to conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and increased levels of insulin, or sugars in the body. As adults, many of these children will suffer unnecessarily from diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Educators have a unique opportunity to impact the health behaviors of their students. However, due to budget constraints, many school districts have cut back on, or even eliminated physical education and health courses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children and adolescents engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate level physical activity most days of the week, preferably daily. HACO believes educators can still advocate for the health of their students by finding creative ways to incorporate physical activity and positive health behaviors into daily curriculum. Here are some examples of ways to incorporate movement into seemingly unrelated subjects:

Math - Have students practice their measurement skills by measuring the distance covered when jumping, leaping and hopping.

Social Studies/Geography – Have students practice their state capitols with Frisbee diskettes. Each state or region of the country has a corresponding square. Students must have the diskette land in the correct state to earn points.

Language Arts – Scrabble Fitness: Have students practice their vocabulary by placing laminated index cards with single letters on one side of the room and having students alternate hopping, jumping, skipping, etc. on cue until the word has been spelled correctly. Small teams accumulate points for spelling the word correctly in the shortest amount of time.

Great resources for educators:

• PE Central Integrated Lessons Full classroom lesson plans for grades K-12 that integrate physical activity into other core subjects.
  
  
• Take 10! A physical activity-based program for K-5 that provides safe 10-minute activities that integrate academic learning objectives with movement.
  
  
• BAM! Body and Mind (CDC) Designed for kids 9–13 years old, BAM! Body and Mind gives kids valuable information about physical activity, nutrition, diseases, and safety in an interactive format that appeals to the age group. BAM! Teacher’s Corner provides a variety of activities, classroom materials, and resources related to education standards for science and health.
  
  
• Powerful Bones. Powerful Girls. (CDC) “Educates and encourages girls aged 9-12 years to establish lifelong, healthy habits that build and maintain strong bones.”
  
  
• Read about Physical Activity and the Health of Young People (CDC)
  
  
• Review Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
  
  
• Physical Activity and Intervention Programs (NCI). The National Cancer Institutes database of research-tested intervention programs that work.
  
  
• Heart Power! “HeartPower! Online is the American Heart Association's curriculum-based program for teaching about the heart and how to keep it healthy for a lifetime.”
  
  
• Making it Happen: School Nutrition Success Stories (CDC)
  
  
• Influence beyond class
  • Reward students for being active at recess
  • Request used sports equipment from parents to use at recess
  • Encourage participation in intramural programs and community teams
  • Ask students about their physical activities outside of school
  • Create a bulletin board where teachers and students can post pictures of themselves being active
  • Assign this important homework “make sure you play”
  • Become a HACO member
  
  
  
• Oregon School Board Fighting Childhood Obesity