1. Improving Student Health Behaviors: Engagement in Physical Activity
NARRATIVE:
Today I am going to introduce you to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Adolescents and discuss how schools, in partnership with families and communities, can help promote youth physical activity.
NOTE TO FACILITATOR:
Insert your name, school district, the name of your organization or group you represent, and the date of presentation in the text box. You can also remove this text box.
Dr. Lisa A Pleban
Department of Physical Education
Castleton College

2. Presentation Objectives
Describe the key physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents
Describe the role of schools, in partnership with families and communities, in promoting physical activity among children and adolescents through use of the CSPAP
Identify at least one action step to take to apply the CSPAP development process in your locality
NARRATIVE:
By the end of this presentation you will be able to
Identify the benefits of regular physical activity among youth.
Describe the key physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents.
Describe the role of schools, in partnership with families and communities, in promoting physical activity among children and adolescents.

3. Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP)
Why?
Students who are physically active…
Benefit physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Can do better in school.
Schools are a great vehicle to deliver wellness information!

4. OMG Assault of the Acronyms!
NPAP= National Physical Activity Plan
PYFP =Presidential Youth Fitness Program
CSPAP = Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program
LMAS=Let’s Move, Active Schools
PAL= Physical Activity Leader
SHAPE-A = Society of Health and Physical Educators - America

5. How Much Physical Activity Do Youth Need?
Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of physical activity daily.
Aerobic Activities: Most of the 60 or more minutes per day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. Include vigorous-intensity physical activity at least 3 days per week.
Muscle-strengthening Activities: Include muscle-strengthening physical activity on at least 3 days of the week, as part of the 60 or more minutes.
Bone-strengthening Activities: Include bone-strengthening physical activity on at least 3 days of the week, as part of the 60 or more minutes.
Activities should be age-appropriate, enjoyable, and offer variety.
NARRATIVE:
In 2008, the federal government published the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans to provide information and guidance to policymakers, health professionals, and members of the public on the types and amounts of physical activity that provide substantial health benefits.
These are the first physical activity guidelines ever to be published by the federal government.
The guidelines are science-based recommendations for persons aged 6 and older, including children and adolescents aged 6–17.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Adolescents state that
Children and adolescents should do 1 hour (60 minutes) or more of physical activity per day.
The guidelines state that the physical activity should at least be of moderate-intensity, and include vigorous-intensity activities at least 3 days per week.
Muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities should each be included at least 3 days a week, as part of the 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
Each of these types of physical activity offer important health benefits.
At first glance, these guidelines might appear complicated. However, keep in mind the following two key points:
Vigorous, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities should be part of the 60 minutes of daily physical activity
2) Many physical activities combine vigorous activity, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening. For example, jumping rope is both vigorous and bone-strengthening.
The guidelines also emphasize the importance of participating in a variety of activities that are age-appropriate and enjoyable.

6. Types of Moderate- and Vigorous- Intensity Aerobic Activities
Type of Physical Activity
Age Group
Children
Adolescents
Moderate-intensity aerobic
Active recreation, such as hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading
Bicycle riding
Brisk walking
Active recreation, such as canoeing, hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading
Bicycle riding (stationary or road bike)
Housework and yard work, such as sweeping or pushing a lawn mower
Games that require catching and throwing, such as baseball and softball
Vigorous-intensity aerobic
Active games involving running and chasing, such as tag
Jumping rope
Martial arts, such as karate
Running
Sports such as soccer, hockey, basketball, swimming, tennis
Cross-country skiing
Active games involving running and chasing, such as flag football
Vigorous dancing, cross-country skiing
NARRATIVE:
This chart shows examples of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activities for children and adolescents.
As you can see, some of the activities are appropriate for both age groups and can be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity depending on the level of effort.

7. What are Muscle-Strengthening Activities?
Activities that make muscles do more work than usual activities of daily life
Activities that can be part of unstructured play
Climbing trees
Playing tug-of-war
Activities that can be structured
Push-ups, pull-ups
Working with resistance bands
Lifting weights
NARRATIVE:
The second type of physical activity outlined in the physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents is muscle-strengthening activity.
Muscle-strengthening activities make muscles do more work than the usual activities of daily life.
Children can increase their muscle strength through unstructured activities that involve lifting or moving their own body weight.
Examples of muscle-strengthening activities from unstructured play include playing on playground equipment, climbing trees and playing tug-of-war.
Muscle-strengthening activities also can be structured activities such push-ups and pull-ups, working with resistance bands or lifting weights.
Let’s look at some other examples of muscle-strengthening activities that are appropriate for children and adolescents.

8. Types of Muscle-Strengthening Activities
Age Group
Children
Adolescents
Games such as tug-of-war
Modified push-ups (with knees on the floor)
Resistance exercises using body weight or resistance bands
Rope or tree climbing
Sit-ups (curl-ups or crunches)
Swinging on playground equipment/bars
Push-ups and pull-ups
Resistance exercises with exercise bands, weight machines, hand-held weights
Climbing wall
NARRATIVE:
This chart shows examples of muscle-strengthening activities for children and adolescents.
It is important to point out that some activities meet the criteria for more than one type of physical activity.
Two examples are gymnastics and rowing.
Both activities can be moderate- or vigorous-aerobic activity, depending on the level of exertions, and both activities are also muscle-strengthening.
These physical activities allow young people to maximize the health benefits gained from both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities at once.

9. What Are Bone-Strengthening Activities?
Activities that produce a force on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength, such as jumping
Activities that are especially important for young people because the greatest gain in bone mass occur during the years just before and during puberty
NARRATIVE:
The third type of activity outlined in the guidelines for children and adolescents is bone-strengthening activity.
Bone-strengthening activities produce a force on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength. This force is usually produced by an impact with the ground.
These activities are especially important for youth because the greatest gains in bone mass occur during the years just before and during puberty, and the majority of peak bone mass is obtained by the end of adolescence.
Let’s look at some examples of bone-strengthening activities for children and adolescents.

10. Types of Bone-strengthening Activities
Age Group
Children
Adolescents
Games such as hopscotch
Hopping, skipping, jumping
Jumping rope
Running
Sports such as gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, tennis
NARRATIVE:
This chart provides examples of bone-strengthening activities that are appropriate for children and adolescents.
As you can see, some of these activities are also aerobic and muscle-strengthening. For example, running can be a vigorous aerobic activity as well as a bone-strengthening activity.

11. “Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School”
Less than ½ of half of youth meet the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommendation of at least 60 minutes of daily vigorous to moderate-intensity physical activity.

12. The Reality Recommended: At least 60 minutes every day
PE class time might not be enough
NARRATIVE:
What does all of this actually mean?
The key points to remember are that children and adolescents should do
At least 60 minutes of physical activity every day; and
Most of the 60 minutes should be spent doing aerobic activities.
It is very important that children and adolescents participate in a variety of activities, especially activities that they enjoy.
This enhances skill development, reduces the risk of overuse injuries and increases the likelihood of continuing to be active as they get older.
It is also important to know that the Guidelines take into consideration the natural activity patterns of children.
Children often move between short bursts of activity and short periods of rest.
All episodes of moderate- or vigorous-intensity activities count towards the daily requirement.
Unstructured active play can provide all 3 types of physical activity.

13. Barriers to Meeting the Guidelines
Personal
Attitude
Belief in ability to be physically active
Social
Influence of their peers
Parental support
Environmental
Safe locations to be active
Access to equipment
Financial costs of physical activities
Time
NARRATIVE:
There are many barriers that make it difficult for young people to meet the physical activity guidelines.
Young people may not believe that physical activity is important for a healthy lifestyle or feel that they have the ability to perform a physical activity.
Lack of support from family and friends also can prevent youth from meeting the guidelines.
Environmental factors that make it difficult to participate in physical activity include low availability of safe locations to be active and physical activity equipment, costs of physical activities, and time constraints.

14. Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs
Bridging the gap

15. CDC Guidelines
School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity

16. Let's Move Active Schools
Physical Education Physical Activity During School Physical Activity Before and After school Staff Involvement Family and Community Engagement

17. SHAPE-A Let’s Move Active Schools
Quality physical education
Daily recess period/drop in activities
Activity breaks throughout the day
Intramural sports
Interscholastic sports
Walk- and bike-to-school programs
Staff wellness and involvement
Family and community participation

18. Institute of Medicine Taking a Whole School Approach
Consider physical activity in all school-related policy decisions
Designate physical education as a core subject
Monitor physical education and opportunities for physical activity in school
Provide preservice training and professional development for teachers
Ensure equity in access to physical activity and physical education

19. Physical Education: The Foundation of CSPAP
Quality physical education provides:
Opportunity to learn
Meaningful content
Appropriate instruction
Enjoyable experience for all students
Meets the needs and interests of all students
Keeps students active for most of class time
NARRATIVE:
Quality physical education provides the unique opportunity for young people to acquire the knowledge and learn skills needed to establish and maintain physically active lifestyles.
This requires an adequate amount of teaching time, equipment, facilities, and highly qualified physical education teachers to provide developmentally appropriate instruction.
Quality physical education also provides students with meaningful content through curriculum and instruction that is based on physical education standards.
Curriculum and instruction should be sequential and provide students with a variety of opportunities to enhance physical, mental, social and emotional development.
Quality physical education requires appropriate instruction.
This means full inclusion of all students, including those with disabilities, maximum practice opportunities through well-designed lessons, and a variety of student assessment protocols such as student self-assessments and teacher observations, should be provided to enhance student learning.
Teachers may also want to include out of school assignments that foster learning, such as identifying physical activity opportunities in their community that are low- or no-cost.
Physical education should encourage students to believe that physical activity is important and enjoyable and meet the needs of all students.
Students should be active for more than 50% of class time.
It is import that schools have policies regarding the amount of physical education time students receive. The National Association for Sports and Physical Activity recommends that all students in kindergarten through grade 12 participate in daily physical education classes. Specifically, elementary school students should receive 150 minutes of physical education per week and high school students should receive 225 minutes of physical education per week.
Policy Recommendation: Schools should require daily physical education for students in kindergarten through grade 121
Elementary school = 150 minutes per week
Secondary schools= 225 minutes per week
1. National Association for Sports and Physical Education. Moving into the Future: National Standards for Physical Education, 2nd ed;2004.

20. Vermont QES: Physical Education
Each school shall provide students in grades K-8 with at least two physical education classes per week. Each school shall provide students in grades 9-12 with one and one half years of physical education or the equivalent thereof.
Each school shall offer options for students in grades K-12 participate in at least 30 minutes of physical activity within or outside of the school day.
Physical activity may include recess and movement built into the curriculum, but does not replace physical education classes.

21. Physical Activity During School
This includes classroom activity and recess
Classroom Activity
Even 5-10 minutes in duration contributes to cognitive outcomes (Castelli et al. 2007)
Can be PreK-12
Recess
Minimum 20 minutes per day
Activity zones, active supervision, equipment, multiple approaches
“Drop-in” physical activity in secondary schools

22. Recess
Opportunity to participate in free-time physical activity and practice skills learned in physical education classes
Research shows enhanced cooperation and negotiation skills
Improves attentiveness, concentration, and time-on-task in the classroom
NARRATIVE:
A comprehensive school-based physical activity program includes recess periods.
Recess periods, especially in elementary schools, can help children accumulate a portion of their recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
Recess provides an opportunity for students to practice the skills they learn in physical education classes as well as enhance cooperation and negotiation skills.
Recess has also been shown to improve attentiveness, concentration, and time-on-task in the classroom.
Recess should not, replace physical education or be used to meet time requirements set forth in physical education policies.
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommends that elementary schools provide all students with at least one 20 minute period of recess per school day.
Schools can try to enhance the amount of physical activity that students get during recess by providing students with space, facilities, equipment, and supplies that can make participation in activity appealing.
Schools can also provide organized physical activities such as four-square, active tag, and flag football for interested students.
Policy Recommendation: Schools should provide at least 20 minutes of recess per day, in addition to physical education classes
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Recess in Elementary Schools; 2006.
We have to inform other teachers, students, parents and administrators about the benefits of recess!

23. Please Share!
How is your school promoting active recess or physical activity “drop-in” time during the school day?

24. Physical Activity Before and After School
School or community sponsored activities, clubs, and programs
Active commuting to school
Physical activity clubs
Intramurals (voluntary, student-centered, and open to all students)
Joint use agreements with community centers & buildings

25. Intramural Sports Can be offered before, during, and after school
Provide students with a choice in activities
Offer every student an equal opportunity to participate regardless of ability level
Incorporate lifetime physical activities like walking, running, hiking, snowshoeing, tennis, dancing, and bicycling
NARRATIVE:
Intramurals offer another opportunity for students to engage in physical activity. These opportunities can be offered before, during and after-school.
Intramurals are open to all students regardless of ability level and students can be involved in planning and implementing the activities.
Intramurals should incorporate lifetime physical activities like walking, running, hiking, swimming, tennis, dancing, and bicycling.

26. Interscholastic Sports
Help establish cooperative and competitive skills1
Help students learn sport-specific and performance-based skills
May be related to higher levels of overall physical activity2
Associated with improved mental health and reduction in some risky health behaviors3-4
NARRATIVE:
School sports programs provide structured time to accumulate minutes of physical activity.
Participating in sports helps students to establish cooperative and competitive skills, and learn sport-specific and performance-based skills.
Some evidence indicates that participation in sports is related to higher levels of participation in overall physical activity.
Additionally, participation in sports programs has been associated with improved mental health and a reduction in some risky health behaviors such as cigarette smoking, illegal drug use, and having sexual intercourse.
Although typically limited to students who are athletically gifted, interscholastic sports provide unique opportunities for applying skills (e.g., sport-specific movements) and behaviors (e.g., self-monitoring and management) taught in physical education.
1. National Association for Sports and Physical Education. Eight Domains of Coaching Competencies;2006.
2. Pediatr Exerc Sci 1998;10:378–86.
3. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2000;154:904–11.
4. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Research Digest 1997;2:1–12.

27. Walk- and Bicycle-to-School Programs
Activity Recommendation: Schools should participate in and support ongoing walk and bike to school programs.
Resources:
VT Safe Routes to Schools
Vermont Walk and Roll to School Days
Vermont Winter Walk Day
NARRATIVE:
Schools can encourage physical activity by participating in International Walk to School Week in October and supporting ongoing walk and bike to school programs.
It is important to point out that some school districts may discourage walking or biking to school because of safety concerns such as busy streets to cross, crime, or gangs in the neighborhood.
Safe Routes to School programs focus on preventing injury while encouraging walking to school.
One of the activities that Safe Routes to School encourages is a walking school bus.
A walking school bus is a group of children walking to school together with one or more adults.
It can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their children to school, to having a specific meeting point, schedule of volunteers to lead the walk, and timetable for “picking-up” students along the route.
A variation on the walking school bus is a bicycle train, which is a group of children and adult leaders ride together to school.
Safe Routes to School has developed a guide to help adults start a walking school bus or bicycle train in their community.
The CDC has developed the KidsWalk Guide to help communities with develop and implement walk and bicycle to school programs. The guide provides users with a step-by-step checklist, implementation tools, safety tips, and ideas to make walking to school an active and exciting part of a child's day.

28. 2015 Vermont School Events
May 6, 2015: Vermont Walk and Roll To School Day and Intergenerational Walk 
Mark your calendars for Vermont's third annual Walk and Roll to School Day!! VT SRTS, VTAHPERD and AARP strive to include walkers of all ages! Please help us keep up with all of the exciting activities across the state and gain access to incentive items by registering your school's event in the spring. To view a list of Senior Centers in your area click here. 
May 2015: National Bike School Day
The event builds on the popularity of Walk to School Day, which is celebrated across the country – and the world – each October. Many communities and schools have been holding spring walk and bicycle to school events for years. National Bike to School Day provides an opportunity for schools across the country to join together to celebrate and to build off of the energy of National Bike Month.
May 2015: Way to Go! Week 
The Vermont Safe Routes to School Resource Center partnered with Way to Go! Vermont to encourage more schools than ever to participate in the spring Way to Go! Commuter Challenge. Get your clean commute on by encouraging your school staff and students to walk, bike, bus or carpool to school. To view the 2014 results click here. 
October 2015: International Walk to School Day
International Walk to School Day is a global event where communities from over 40 countries walk and bike to school on a single day. Join families, schools and communities around the globe as they walk and bicycle to school in celebration of Walk to School Day every October. Learn more about the day, who is participating in your area, and register for this year's event at 
Vermont is 2nd in the country for participation in this event! Sixty-four schools across Vermont participated in International Walk to School Day in 2014!!

29. Staff Involvement Incorporate staff into PA programs
Tailor programming to met staff requests
Showcase possible activities during staff meetings / PA breaks during staff meetings

30. Please Share!
What before and after school activities has your school promoted successfully? How have you gotten other staff members to support these programs?

31. Family and Community Engagement
Social support is critical in youth physical activity choices
Parent/guardian-led events
Family events
Youth sports
Volunteers (retirees, older students / service learning)

32. Family Engagement Can your school promote the following ideas?
Make family time an opportunity for physical activity
Walking together after dinner
Doing housework or yard work together
Walking the dog together
Make use of low- or no-cost resources
Public parks
Community fields and courts
Recreation areas
Replace inactivity with activity whenever possible
Example: walk or bike to school instead of riding in a car
NARRATIVE:
Adults can set a positive example for their families by leading an active lifestyle themselves.
Parents and other adults can help to incorporate physical activity into their family’s daily routine.
Ideas include taking a walk together after dinner;
doing housework or yard work together;
and walking the dog together.
Families can also utilize local low or no cost facilities like public parks, community fields and courts and other recreation areas.
In general, replacing inactivity with activity whenever possible helps to increase physical activity.
For example, walking or biking to school instead of riding in a car.

33. Limit “Screen Time”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends less than 2 hours of media time per day.
Television
Computer
Movies/DVDs
Video games
Turn commercial breaks into activity breaks
Turn off the television during mealtimes
Do not use screen time as a reward or punishment
NARRATIVE:
Families and other caregivers can help youth balance “screen time”, which is time spent watching TV, using the computer, movies/DVDs and video games.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting children’s media time to two hours a day.
Other suggestions include:
Turning commercial breaks into activity breaks.
Do jumping jacks, pushups, crunches or run in place during commercial breaks.
Turning off the television during mealtime.
Not using ‘screen time’ as a reward or punishment for your child.

34. Encourage Physical Activity at Home
Encourage children to talk about their experience with physical activity
Assist parents in getting their child to and from practices and events
Host a town-wide “toy swap” with items that promote physical activity
Teach children to try a new physical activity with a friend or family member.
Assign homework where the child has to teach a family member a new game
NARRATIVE:
Parents can support their children being active by exposing them to a variety of activities including recreation, team sports and individual sports. This helps children to find activities that they enjoy and sets the foundation for life-long physical activity.
Parents should be positive about the activities in which their child decides to participate.
Encourage children to talk about how physical activity makes them feel and the fun they have when they are active.
Parents can help their children be active by taking them to and from practice and events.
Parents can give their children toys that promote physical activity such as balls, kites, and jump ropes.
Rather than watching television or playing video games, encourage kids to play outside games like tag, basketball or ride bicycles.
Birthday parties and other group functions can also be an opportunity to be active with friends; for example, holding a birthday party at a local park where youth can use playground equipment and open athletic fields

35. Please Share with Others
Successful ideas for overcoming physical activity barriers
Successful ideas for encouraging “family-wide” physical activity in your community

36. Coordination is the Key
CSPAP is a holistic approach to school physical activity
Determine how each component complements the others
Communicate!!!
Determine and engage your key stakeholders

37. Activity: Visit the Posters
Can you identify three ideas that you can incorporate into your work?
Did you see three ideas you never thought of?
that

38. CSPAP Guide
Notes and links are online at
Purpose: to enable physical educators and other wellness leaders to develop, implement, and evaluate a CSPAP
Components
Brief introduction
Step-by-step process
Tools and templates

39. Steps to develop, implement, and evaluate a CSPAP
Step One: Establish a team or committee and designate a Physical Activity Leader. Step Two: Conduct an assessment of existing physical activity opportunities. Step Three: Create a vision statement, goals, and objectives for your CSPAP. Step Four: Identify the outcomes or specific changes that will be direct results of program implementation. Step Five: Identify and plan the activities for your CSPAP. Step Six: Implement your CSPAP. Step Seven: Evaluate your CSPAP

40. Activity: Identify Stakeholders
Who in your school community might want to participate on a PA committee?
PTA, interested community residents, teachers, alumni
Who are the stakeholders?
Superintendent’s office (professional development, allocate resources), healthcare providers, local businesses, colleges, local media

41. Conduct an assessment of existing physical activity opportunities
The School Health Index (SHI): Self-Assessment & Planning Guide ( is an assessment and planning tool that can be used to examine current physical activity opportunities and the environmental supports for activity in your school.
The SHI will enable the CSPAP committee to establish a baseline and plan for incremental improvements over time.

42. Developing Goals and Objectives of the CSPAP
A goal is a broad statement of purpose that describes the long-term (e.g., 3 or more years) result or impact of your CSPAP.

43. Discussing Implementation
What types of activities can be implemented to meet the goal and objectives set for YOUR SCHOOL ?

44. Activity: Develop Your “Stairwell” Speech
Who do you want to target?
Does your message “hit the target?”

45. Identify Outcomes

46. In closing…
There is no one stop shop fix for physical activity in schools.
Physical activity programs rely on teacher collaboration
Administrative support, Employee wellness programs
3rd party support- Youth sports, before and after school programs, grants
Parental involvement

47. Thank you!
Notes and links are online at