Work It on Out... in the Classroom.

• Author: Bryant, Cedric X.
• Position: MEDICINE & HEALTH

Despite recommendations that all children between the ages of six and 17 get at least one hour of physical activity every day, budget cuts have forced some schools to reduce, or altogether eliminate, formal physical education programs. This leaves many children without the opportunity to get enough physical activity or the knowledge of how to exercise safely and effectively.

The American Council on Exercise sponsored an independent study to determine if using short exercise videos in elementary school classrooms would be a cost-effective solution to help introduce more physical activity into schools.

Performed by Leon Greene at the University of Kansas' Department of Health, Sport, and Exercise Sciences, the study involved 16 teachers and more than 400 students in second, third, fourth, and fifth grades. Physical education teachers helped the researchers design eight exercise videos with the tone, language, and skill level appropriate to each age group. Teachers had students exercise with the videos up to twice a day for one month. Data showed participating students reached a moderate level of exercise intensity, the equivalent of a brisk walk or slow jog, during each 10-minute video.

After four weeks of up to two video exercise sessions per day, students were more active and better behaved. Furthermore, the students loved the quick exercise breaks and many of the teachers found participation to be enjoyable.

It is important for children to develop a positive relationship to movement and physical activity while they are young. This will make it much less challenging to incorporate movement into their lifestyle as adults. These videos could be a powerful tool to getting kids moving now and keeping them moving throughout...