Quality, Daily Physical Education For Health, Fitness, and Learning Today— and Tomorrow

take regular, quality physical education classes, The health and well-being of most American children are being short-changed at school in that they lack opportunities to participate in adequate physical activity, develop motor skills, and learn about fitness concepts. Source: Educational Frameworks.

“The percentage of young people who are overweight has doubled since 1980.” “Of children aged 5 to 10 who are overweight, 61% have one or more cardiovascular disease risk factors....” “Adult-onset” (type 2) diabetes is now seen among adolescents, along with its life-threatening complications. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) 2000b, p. 5. Meanwhile...

However, something can be done...

“[The CDC and NIH have called] for more physical activity and physical education for all children. School boards should take note and heed their call... Daily, quality physical education in all schools is a sound investment in our nation’s health and productivity.” Source: American School Board Journal, Oct. 2000

The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), in its “Fit, Healthy and Ready to Learn” policy statements, recommends a “sequential physical education curriculum taught daily in every grade... that involves... physical activity; that teaches knowledge, motor skills, and positive attitudes... taught by well-prepared and well-supported staff.... Source:

New Physical Education = Quality Physical Education...

Today’s quality physical education programs respect and enhance the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of the child. Students learn how to develop, maintain, and self-assess health, fitness, and motor skills through physical activities in which they can participate for a lifetime.

Only in Quality Physical Education...

Students learn basic movement skills (e.g., skipping, throwing, catching, kicking) and knowledge for developing and monitoring their own fitness levels: Proven, safe methods for improving the health-related fitness components— cardiorespiratory endurance, body composition (fat to lean mass), and muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility

Self-assessment skills—e.g., heart-rate monitoring during physical activity, application of healthy heart rate target zones in which to maintain intensity, and practical self-tests for health-related fitness components. Students also learn how to self-assess their motor skills.

Students develop skills for and experience a variety of physical activities. While playing a team sport often contributes to fitness, small-sided games (e.g., tennis) and individual activities (e.g., walking and biking) will also be important to a lifetime of fitness and wellness.

Secondary students learn how to be good consumers of fitness products and services. Note: Researchers estimate that $5 billion is wasted each year on fraudulent weight loss products alone (Linder 2000).

Athletics  Physical Education...

While athletics are very worthwhile to those participating in them, they only meet the current needs of some students. All too often the high school athletes of today become the spectators—not the participants—of tomorrow. Only quality, daily physical education prepares all students for a lifetime of fitness and good health.

“Helping children and youth find success, enjoyment, and confidence in their physical abilities is important.” Educational Leadership (March 2000)

“Unhealthy behaviors take many years to present themselves clinically, but... helping students learn to be active early in their lives will provide an important foundation for lifetime physical activity.” Educational Leadership (March 2000)

Providing quality physical education prepares our children for lifelong physical activity and health. Isn’t that enough?

Also in Quality Physical Education...

Learn how to apply academic skills in meaningful ways (e.g., writing for understanding, studying how the body functions) Students: Develop appropriate social behaviors (e.g., cooperation, respect, healthy competition) Practice healthy stress-reduction strategies

New Physical Education = Quality Physical Education It’s not just basketball, football, and softball anymore: Students explore a broad range of physical activities to discover their interests.

Biking Some contemporary activities: Adventure Backpacking Orienteering Ropes courses Cross-country skiing In-line skating Line dancing Self-designed fitness programs

Individualized —Students learn and are authentically assessed on their own needs, goals, and efforts. Today’s quality physical education is Meaningful —Students gain skills and knowledge in context.

Developmentally appropriate — Activities and content are geared toward research-based expectations. Academically enhancing —Cross- curricular activities extend meaning. Lifelong —Encourages lifelong enjoyable, accessible, cost-effective physical activity.

set and work toward goals, Quality physical education also helps students learn to recognize the benefits of lifelong participation in physical activity, practice self-assessment, celebrate what they can do, and value others’ personal achievements.

The Facts Are In...

“... School physical education programs... can be effective in increasing the health, fitness, and physical activity levels of students.” Educational Leadership (March 2000)

Children and youth who participate in quality physical education programs are more likely to participate in physical activity as adults (American Sports Data, Inc.).

“Regular, moderate physical activity among... inactive Americans over age 15 might reduce annual national medical costs by as much as... $76.6 billion in 2000 dollars.” Unfortunately, negative habits carry over into adulthood as well. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, October 2000.

Year after year, the percentage of adults who exercise at moderate intensity for 30 minutes at least 5 days per week continues to decline (USDHHS 2000a).

Data from CDC ,

Physical activity levels decrease steadily during adolescence (USDHHS 1996). Adapted from CDC 1997 (Kann et al. 1998).

When physical inactivity is combined with poor diet, the impact on health is devastating, accounting for an estimated 300,000 deaths per year. Tobacco use is the only behavior that kills more people. —JAMA 1993

More and more young people are overweight. Data from CDC 2000.

Today, 2- to 18-year-olds average more than 4 hours a day watching TV and videos, playing video games, and using computers (Kaiser Family Foundation 1999). One recent study found that only 20% of students met all the minimum health- related fitness standards. More than 40% did not meet the minimum for heart health (CA Dept. of Ed. 1999).

The Facts Are In...

Enhance skeletal development Children and adolescents who are regularly physically active: Increase muscle and bone strength May find it easier to control their weight Reduce anxiety and stress Source: USDHHS 2000a.

“Through its effects on mental health, physical activity may help increase students’ capacity for learning” (UDDHHS 2000b). “... Spending more time in physical education did not have harmful effects on the standardized achievement scores of elementary school students” (Sallis et al. 1999). “In fact... participation in a two-year health-related physical education program had several significant favorable effects on academic achievement” (Sallis et al. 1999).

20% improvement in school attendance Kids who increased their physical activity from three to five days a week showed 20% improvement in school grades 50% reduction in smoking 60% reduction in drug and alcohol use Source: Collingwood 2001 The First Choice Program

You Can Make a Difference...

Curricular Decisions...

Require daily, quality physical education for all children, pre-K through 12th grade (USDHHS 2000b). Ban the use of physical education waivers (USDHHS 2000b). Provide adapted physical education for students with disabilities (USDHHS 2000b). Support state and national standards and developmentally appropriate practices in physical education.

Form school- and district-wide health and wellness committees to assess and improve student and staff fitness and health. Develop comprehensive school- and district-wide health screening and counseling programs, more fully utilizing school health education, nursing, physical education, and other staff.

Encourage interdisciplinary instruction, including integrating core academic subjects into physical education and integrating movement skills and fitness topics into, e.g., math, language arts, and science.

Teacher Qualification and Training Decisions...

Only certified physical education teachers should teach the skills and provide the motivation our young people need to adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle. Intensify efforts to provide quality physical education staff development opportunities. Source: USDHHS 2000b

Strategical Decisions...

Abolish large class sizes. Class sizes should be the same as for other subject areas (USDHHS 2000b). Provide adequate, safe facilities. Fund sufficient equipment and supplies to increase time on task. Facilitate physical activity-related field trips.

Community Relationship Decisions...

Encourage after-school care programs to provide health-enhancing amounts of physical activity and practice opportunities for skills taught in physical education (USDHHS 2000b). Team with local businesses and national corporations to facilitate physical education and physical activity funding and implementation.

Your Support Will Make a Difference...

Support national programs to improve the fitness and wellness of our children and youth.

Support the PE4Life Initiative PE4Life serves as the collective voice for promoting and expanding quality, daily physical education programs to develop active, healthy lifestyles for America’s youth. Further information about this not-for-profit organization can be found at

Support NASPE The National Association for Sport and Physical Education is a nonprofit professional organization that studies human movement as well as studies, develops, supports, and promotes quality sport, physical activity, and physical education programs.

New Physical Education = Quality Physical Education...

Quality physical education provides the opportunity for every student to gain physical, social-emotional, and academic confidence today—gifts that can last a lifetime.

The Facts Are In...

Quality physical education enhances the current physical fitness and emotional well-being of students. Students who participate in a quality physical education program today are more likely to be fit in the future. Regular physical education can favorably affect academic achievement.

Your Support Will Make a Difference...

Today, you can greatly enhance the current—and future—physical fitness and emotional health and well-being of students in your school and district simply by supporting your local physical education program as outlined in this presentation.

Funding for this program was provided by PE4Life ( and Human Kinetics Publishers ( Content support was provided by The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)