Physical Activity Can Be Part Of School Day, After-School Programs
Posted Aug 07 2012 12:29pm
From Health News Digest…..
Along with reading, writing and arithmetic, do you know if physical activity will be a big part of your child’s school day? What about after school and on weekends — is your child getting enough physical activity?
According to guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, children ages 6 to 17 need 60 minutes or more of physical activity a day. That means, says a Kansas State University child physical activity expert, that schools should be providing a minimum of 30 minutes during the school day for physical education and/or recess. The same holds true for after-school programs.
“Emerging evidence shows that children do better in school if they have opportunities to be physically active,” said David Dzewaltowski, professor and head of the university’s department of kinesiology. “Many children do not have opportunities to be active before or after school, so the school day is vitally important. Our work has shown that schools can reverse the trend for increased childhood obesity if they focus on providing activity, especially to those who are most in need.”
Dzewaltowski is director of the Youth Health Behavior Research Laboratory at Kansas State University, which provides the Healthy Opportunities for Physical activity and Nutrition — or HOP’N — research and programs. HOP’N looks at strategies to promote healthy eating and physical activity in children.
From Health News Digest…..
Along with reading, writing and arithmetic, do you know if physical activity will be a big part of your child’s school day? What about after school and on weekends — is your child getting enough physical activity?
According to guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, children ages 6 to 17 need 60 minutes or more of physical activity a day. That means, says a Kansas State University child physical activity expert, that schools should be providing a minimum of 30 minutes during the school day for physical education and/or recess. The same holds true for after-school programs.
“Emerging evidence shows that children do better in school if they have opportunities to be physically active,” said David Dzewaltowski, professor and head of the university’s department of kinesiology. “Many children do not have opportunities to be active before or after school, so the school day is vitally important. Our work has shown that schools can reverse the trend for increased childhood obesity if they focus on providing activity, especially to those who are most in need.”
Dzewaltowski is director of the Youth Health Behavior Research Laboratory at Kansas State University, which provides the Healthy Opportunities for Physical activity and Nutrition — or HOP’N — research and programs. HOP’N looks at strategies to promote healthy eating and physical activity in children.
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