National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
By Caroline Dickson – Health Educator
This month is the observance of physical fitness and sports. When most people hear the words “exercise” or “physical activity,” they run the other way (no pun intended). What most Americans do not realize is that exercise can be fun for all ages! At the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education, we provide fun and interactive programming for children on various topics including general health, dental health, bullying prevention, and nutrition and physical activity. Many of our nutrition and physical activity programs discuss the benefits of exercising and being active every day. The physical fitness programs we offer include:
- Fitness is Fun. This program is designed to help kindergarten through second graders understand the physical activity pyramid as well as why being active is so important!
- Healthy Habits. Our K-1st grade program looks at the importance of establishing healthy habits at an early age. This program also discusses the importance of getting 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
- Play Hard, Stay Fit. This program is designed for 2nd-3rd graders. It helps children define exercise and what it means to be healthy or unhealthy. Participants also look at the risks associated with poor health behaviors as well as the benefits of physical activity.
- FITT for Life. Our 4th-5th grade program discusses the importance of balance between eating and exercising. It also introduces the different levels of exercise as well as the components of a good athlete.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, all children and adolescents should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Our programs help children learn how to get their 60 minutes of exercise while still having fun! The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week. Some examples of aerobic activity include walking fast, dancing, swimming and raking leaves. During the month of May, we challenge you to get 30 minutes of physical activity every day! You can find more information on physical activity at http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/.