I’m super excited to share my holiday plans as they are inspired by PE4life! Through my years working with PE4life, I’ve been able to take what I’ve learned about the lifelong importance of being physically active and incorporate it into my personal life.
This year my family is participating in a Thanksgiving Day Fun Run sponsored by the Kansas City Sports Commission. I’ve never been a distance runner (distance running gives me too much time to think of how tired I am J), but I am participating in the 5K Stroller Walk portion of the event with my mom, husband and two little boys. Perhaps this will help me justify the extra serving of mashed potatoes and gravy that I am sure to consume! This event is held each year and I’m hoping will become a tradition for our family!
I’m learning that these events are a common Thanksgiving activity (aka Turkey Trot). You might do an internet search for one in your area. If not an organized run, consider at least getting everyone outside for a game of football, a power walk around the block – or maybe even a Geocache scavenger hunt. Stay tuned, as we are organizing a Geocache hunt for our family Christmas activity!
Happy Turkey Day everyone!
-Carrie
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
New PE4life - Arkansas website!
We're proud to finally be able to share the PE4life - Arkansas website!
PE4life’s presence in Northwest Arkansas has been developing since the establishment of an Academy Training Center within the Rogers’ School District in 2007. With funding from the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, PE4life was able to open the first regional office, located in the Rogers Activity Center, (RAC) at 315 West Olive St. This unique training center is one of the six centers strategically positioned in the United States.
The current mission of the PE4life Arkansas Chapter is to serve schools and communities in Arkansas and Mississippi through physical education training referred to as PE4life Training. Attendees include physical education teachers, education and community leaders as well as corporation health and wellness champions. PE4life is not a cookie cutter program, but a unique philosophy that integrates into an existing program, enhancing what is already in place.
Friday, November 20, 2009
This Year, Make Holiday Meals a Rainbow of Color
As I ski through my first semester with the children of the Kansas City Missouri School District, one key message we are teaching is to choose a variety of colors with foods from each of the basic food groups. This holiday season strive to be creative with entrées, side dishes and beverages. Bring color to the table with nutrient rich foods that are both good for the body and tasty.
When coaching our kids, we talk about power pick foods. A power pick food is a food high in nutrients and low in fat and added sugar. Think of two foods associated with each color of the rainbow. Go to the internet and search for healthy recipes containing these foods.
For example:
Red: Try a cranberry apple sauce, strawberry Jell-O or a non-alcoholic pomegranate margarita. Mom always makes her strawberry Jell-O for holiday meals. We crave this dish year after year.
Orange: Pumpkin and sweet potatoes are great examples of orange foods. Make a moist, low-fat, nutrient dense chocolate cake by mixing a box of devils food cake with 1 15 oz can of pure pumpkin. This works for brownie cup cakes too and helps with portion control. Recipe compliments of www.hungry-girl.com.
Yellow: Try some flavorful spaghetti squash and corn. Lightly sautéed spaghetti squash with pepper and garlic is great for a side dish. Jalapeno corn muffins are delicious and can be a nice change from white dinner rolls.
Green: Power picks would be broccoli and spinach. How about a cheesy, broccoli casserole, using broccoli, brown rice, onions and cheese? A nice spinach salad is always a fresh way to start your meal.
Purple: Make some purple cabbage slaw with a vinaigrette dressing, raisins and sunflower seeds or roasted eggplant with fresh garlic, oregano and canola oil.
Brown and White: Turkey is traditionally brown and white. It is nutrient dense, low in fat and rich in protein. Beans are an excellent low-fat choice for protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. A three bean salad is a quick and easy dish to whip up. Make mashed potatoes using low-fat yogurt and Smart Balance in place of sour cream and butter. Jicama makes for a healthy appetizer, especially when dipped in holiday hummus made with chopped green parsley.
Exercising with family members helps burn and digest holiday calories. So remember to get out and walk with family before or after your holiday meal. Check out local Thanksgiving or Jingle Bell 5K run/walks. Most of my family members are doing the Thanksgiving 5k Family Fun Run/Walk this year! Whatever your holiday meal choices may be, have a nutritious and active plan. Adding color to holiday meals can be fun, appetizing and very healthy! So taste a rainbow this Holiday Season.
When coaching our kids, we talk about power pick foods. A power pick food is a food high in nutrients and low in fat and added sugar. Think of two foods associated with each color of the rainbow. Go to the internet and search for healthy recipes containing these foods.
For example:
Red: Try a cranberry apple sauce, strawberry Jell-O or a non-alcoholic pomegranate margarita. Mom always makes her strawberry Jell-O for holiday meals. We crave this dish year after year.
Orange: Pumpkin and sweet potatoes are great examples of orange foods. Make a moist, low-fat, nutrient dense chocolate cake by mixing a box of devils food cake with 1 15 oz can of pure pumpkin. This works for brownie cup cakes too and helps with portion control. Recipe compliments of www.hungry-girl.com.
Yellow: Try some flavorful spaghetti squash and corn. Lightly sautéed spaghetti squash with pepper and garlic is great for a side dish. Jalapeno corn muffins are delicious and can be a nice change from white dinner rolls.
Green: Power picks would be broccoli and spinach. How about a cheesy, broccoli casserole, using broccoli, brown rice, onions and cheese? A nice spinach salad is always a fresh way to start your meal.
Purple: Make some purple cabbage slaw with a vinaigrette dressing, raisins and sunflower seeds or roasted eggplant with fresh garlic, oregano and canola oil.
Brown and White: Turkey is traditionally brown and white. It is nutrient dense, low in fat and rich in protein. Beans are an excellent low-fat choice for protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. A three bean salad is a quick and easy dish to whip up. Make mashed potatoes using low-fat yogurt and Smart Balance in place of sour cream and butter. Jicama makes for a healthy appetizer, especially when dipped in holiday hummus made with chopped green parsley.
Exercising with family members helps burn and digest holiday calories. So remember to get out and walk with family before or after your holiday meal. Check out local Thanksgiving or Jingle Bell 5K run/walks. Most of my family members are doing the Thanksgiving 5k Family Fun Run/Walk this year! Whatever your holiday meal choices may be, have a nutritious and active plan. Adding color to holiday meals can be fun, appetizing and very healthy! So taste a rainbow this Holiday Season.
Carolyn R. Skelton
MS, RD, LD, ACSM HFI
RD Nutrition Coach, Healthy Schools Partnership
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Jump Rope!
Jump Roping can be a great form of exercise – and fun too! Check out this awesome video of jump roping to the MAX! Hope this inspires you (and your students)!
The Firecrackers are a performance jump rope team made up of talented 4th-8th graders from the Kings Local School District in Kings Mills, Ohio. Coached by Lynn Kelley, they perform at venues across the country.
The Firecrackers grew out of an elementary school physical education exposition. Coach Kelly was looking for a rhythmic activity that could be choreographed to music. She found some jump ropes, a few interested students and some good music. The response to the activity was so positive, that it was suggested that the group perform at halftime of a Junior Varsity basketball game. More overwhelmingly positive feedback lead the team to perform at more high school games and then eventually college and NBA basketball games.
For more information on the Firecrackers or the benefits of jump roping, check out…
Friday, November 13, 2009
Study deems PE4life an overall success!
The Titusville Area School District is well-known for the success it has had with the PE4Life program.
And proof that the physical education program results in better conditioning in the top two areas of general health was presented to school directors on Monday.
Dr. Randy Nichols, of Slippery Rock University, who was involved with a PE4Life study of students grades six through nine, said the purpose of the study was to determine if the PE4Life program has better overall results for its students versus students who participated in a traditional gym class.
Nichols, a former Titusville student, said the study compared Titusville with a “control” school of approximately the same size and student population. The study assessed students in areas including muscle fitness, flexibility and body composition.
He also said the study assessed students' nutritional choices, physical educational activities and levels of enjoyment of physical activities.
Although the results of the study showed the control school faring better in the area of flexibility, Nichols said the Titusville students who were surveyed showed higher significant improvements in cardio-vascular endurance and muscular strength and muscular endurance.
*
“When they think of the big picture, they think of cardio-vascular endurance and muscle strength and muscle endurance,” Nichols said. “These are the top two areas in which Titusville scored highest.”
Nichols also told school officials at the work session that Titusville students also had significantly higher activity levels than students of the control school.
According to Nichols, a major component of physical education class is movement. He noted that the Titusville students spend a significantly larger amount of time moving, than students in the regular phys ed classes.
“Titusville students engage in more physical activities outside of school,” Nichols said. “And youths in the Titusville area also make better nutritional choices.”
Nichols said the results of the study will be presented at a national conference in Indianapolis in March.
Nichols commented that although he has given presentations at many places, it was an honor to come back to Titusville.
And proof that the physical education program results in better conditioning in the top two areas of general health was presented to school directors on Monday.
Dr. Randy Nichols, of Slippery Rock University, who was involved with a PE4Life study of students grades six through nine, said the purpose of the study was to determine if the PE4Life program has better overall results for its students versus students who participated in a traditional gym class.
Nichols, a former Titusville student, said the study compared Titusville with a “control” school of approximately the same size and student population. The study assessed students in areas including muscle fitness, flexibility and body composition.
He also said the study assessed students' nutritional choices, physical educational activities and levels of enjoyment of physical activities.
Although the results of the study showed the control school faring better in the area of flexibility, Nichols said the Titusville students who were surveyed showed higher significant improvements in cardio-vascular endurance and muscular strength and muscular endurance.
*
“When they think of the big picture, they think of cardio-vascular endurance and muscle strength and muscle endurance,” Nichols said. “These are the top two areas in which Titusville scored highest.”
Nichols also told school officials at the work session that Titusville students also had significantly higher activity levels than students of the control school.
According to Nichols, a major component of physical education class is movement. He noted that the Titusville students spend a significantly larger amount of time moving, than students in the regular phys ed classes.
“Titusville students engage in more physical activities outside of school,” Nichols said. “And youths in the Titusville area also make better nutritional choices.”
Nichols said the results of the study will be presented at a national conference in Indianapolis in March.
Nichols commented that although he has given presentations at many places, it was an honor to come back to Titusville.
By Tom Boyle, Titusville Herald
tboyle@titusvilleherald.com
Monday, November 9, 2009 10:12 PM CST
tboyle@titusvilleherald.com
Monday, November 9, 2009 10:12 PM CST
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
New Research Results from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation just published an extensive study on the relationship between physical activity and academic performance among children and adolescents. The results are parallel to the outcomes we've seen in schools that integrate PE4life! The study found the following statements to be true:
- Sacrificing physical education for classroom time does not improve academic performance.
- Kids who are more physically active tend to perform better academically.
- Kids who are physically fit are likely to have stronger academic performance.
- Activity breaks can improve cognitive performance and classroom behavior.
Based on the success we've seen in the past few months and this astounding research study, it seems like people are finally starting to "GET IT" - physical activity equals an all around healthy child - physically and mentally! Are people in your area "GETTING IT?"
Friday, November 6, 2009
The obesity epedimic hits the military!
...Asthma, eyesight and hearing problems are also factors. But about a third of all potential recruits can't join is because they're too fat and out of shape.
"When you get kids who can't do push-ups, pull-ups or run, this is a fundamental problem not just for the military but for the country," said Curtis Gilroy, the Pentagon's director of accessions policy. Many kids are not "taking physical education in school; they're more interested in sedentary activities such as the computer or television. And we have a fast-food mentality in this country."
Recruiters, then, become part-time tutors and coaches, helping with homework and whipping kids into shape. Some even hold after-school workouts, where teen-agers prepare for basic training. To pass an Army physical fitness test, an 18-year-old male must do 42 push-ups in two minutes, 53 sit-ups in two minutes and run two miles in 15 minutes 54 seconds.
Earlier this year, the National Guard opened a "Patriot Academy" in Indiana, which helps high school dropouts earn a high school diploma after graduating from basic training. In Maryland, the majority of Guard recruiters are also certified substitute teachers, helping recruits with their homework, said Sgt. Maj. Anthony Weeks.
"We'll go work out at the gym with them to get them in shape," Weeks said. But that's become increasingly challenging. Nationwide, more than one in four adults is classified as obese by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mission: Readiness, which comprises 89 retired military leaders including two former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is pushing Congress to pass the Obama administration's Early Learning Challenge Fund, a program that would grant states $1 billion annually for 10 years for early childhood development programs.
Educators say preschool programs are one of the best ways to ensure academic success later in life. Military officials think they're one of the best ways to ensure the country has a large pool of people who will be savvy enough to fly helicopters, drive tanks and gather intelligence.
"You can't wait until high school in order to change a young person," said Kelley, the retired major general. "It has to be done at a very early age, and that's why the need for high quality early learning is so vital."
What comes to mind when you read this article? Do you believe quality physical education could be the solution to Americans being too overweight to even join the military? If Kelley is right, we should be implementing quality PE as early as preschool. So why aren't we??
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Those sneakers are made for walking!
Visit any American grade school at 3 o’clock on a weekday afternoon and you’re likely to find a dozen or so overweight children sluggishly climbing into their parents’ SUV, only to be greeted with a jumbo size soda, and driven the 5 blocks home.
Here at PE4life, we’re all about expanding physical activity into the community, and walking to school is a great and simple way to implement this idea. In a time when one third of our children are obese and even more are sedentary, the simple act of walking to and from school every day could make a huge impact on the health of our children.
Studies have shown that just 30 minutes of exercise a day can: help maintain a healthy weight, prevent juvenile diabetes, reduce blood pressure, provide mental well-being and even prevent cancer. Add a 30 minute walk home on top of quality, daily physical education and we’ll solve the obesity epidemic in no time!
Unfortunately, we live in an era when you can’t trust your own neighbor, so it’s no surprise that parents have serious reservations about their children walking to school. However, if we educate our children to take the necessary safety precautions, there’s really no reason this can’t be a perfectly safe form of exercise. Here are a few safety tips to share with your children or physical education class on walking to school:
• Walk in groups
• Cross the street where crossing guards are stationed
• Tell parents the route they take
• Use sidewalks
• Pay attention to your surroundings
• If you're still worried after sharing these tips, walk with the child!
For some more great resources check out:
www.walktoschool-usa.org/
www.iwalktoschool.org/
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk/
* This article was taken from the PE4life Quarterly Newsletter. To sign up to receive this newsletter click here.
Here at PE4life, we’re all about expanding physical activity into the community, and walking to school is a great and simple way to implement this idea. In a time when one third of our children are obese and even more are sedentary, the simple act of walking to and from school every day could make a huge impact on the health of our children.
Studies have shown that just 30 minutes of exercise a day can: help maintain a healthy weight, prevent juvenile diabetes, reduce blood pressure, provide mental well-being and even prevent cancer. Add a 30 minute walk home on top of quality, daily physical education and we’ll solve the obesity epidemic in no time!
Unfortunately, we live in an era when you can’t trust your own neighbor, so it’s no surprise that parents have serious reservations about their children walking to school. However, if we educate our children to take the necessary safety precautions, there’s really no reason this can’t be a perfectly safe form of exercise. Here are a few safety tips to share with your children or physical education class on walking to school:
• Walk in groups
• Cross the street where crossing guards are stationed
• Tell parents the route they take
• Use sidewalks
• Pay attention to your surroundings
• If you're still worried after sharing these tips, walk with the child!
For some more great resources check out:
www.walktoschool-usa.org/
www.iwalktoschool.org/
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk/
* This article was taken from the PE4life Quarterly Newsletter. To sign up to receive this newsletter click here.
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