| "Take care of our children and show them the way." | | | | Step 5: Again |
| We live in a culture of sedentary living and | | | | Step 1: Find-a-way Mindset |
| overeating. Our children are watching, listening and | | | | Parents, teachers, administrators, school boards as |
| learning about life and how to live from us adults, | | | | well as local, state and federal governments must |
| their leaders. They are not interested in what we | | | | maintain a find-a-way mindset to implement 60 |
| have to say. They are carefully watching how we | | | | minutes of school-based physical activity at least five |
| live. | | | | days per week. The vision, mission and core values |
| Schools, parents and local, state and federal | | | | of our public schools are student focused. The vision |
| governments all have a leadership role when it comes | | | | is to provide the highest quality education for all |
| to educating our children and keeping them physically | | | | students. We, as the leaders and role models, of our |
| fit. What kind of message are they sending our kids? | | | | children are accountable and responsible for the |
| According to the Centers for Disease Control and | | | | development and education of our children. The CDC |
| Prevention (CDC), twenty percent of our children | | | | findings of a correlation between school-based |
| ages 6-17 are overweight. In 1980, only 6 percent of | | | | physical activities and academic performance make it |
| our children were overweight. Our children are now | | | | imperative to eliminate all excuses for not finding a |
| being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 | | | | way to institute this fitness program in all our schools. |
| diabetes was once considered a disease for adults. | | | | Step 2: Assess |
| In a local newspaper, I read a dismal report. Physical | | | | All teachers and school administrators are to set the |
| education, music and art are being eliminated from | | | | example by taking a fitness test to determine what |
| our schools because there is no money to pay for | | | | the true state of their wellness really is. Then, they |
| them. The budgets have been slashed and teachers | | | | are to do the same with the help of all those decision |
| are being let go. This trend has been going on | | | | makers to establish one hour of daily school-based |
| sometime now. Funding for our education system is | | | | physical activities for the children and themselves. |
| not expected to increase. | | | | The program will begin with a physical fitness test of |
| Are we really talking about money and jobs? The | | | | every child to determine the status of fitness. |
| primary mission of our school system is to educate | | | | Establish goals for every child based on the fitness |
| our children. Physical education, art and music are just | | | | test results and other relevant input. |
| as essential for growth and development of our | | | | Step 3: Train |
| children as reading, writing and math. | | | | School staff and children will train for the next fitness |
| The CDC has determined there is a causal connection | | | | test approximately eight weeks from the first one. |
| between academic performance and school-based | | | | Training will be activities based and not academic. Any |
| physical activity, according to the report by the U.S. | | | | academics are to be shouted out on the ball field |
| Department of Health and Human Services, April | | | | during all other physical activities. We are to put the |
| 2010, The Association Between School-Based Physical | | | | physical back into physical education and keep it |
| Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic | | | | there. |
| Performance. These findings combined with the state | | | | Step 4: Sustain |
| of health of our children make it imperative to find a | | | | It's not enough to start a physical fitness program. |
| way to - with or without additional funding or | | | | The program needs to be ongoing. Fitness testing |
| teaching jobs - to get at least 60 minutes of physical | | | | should be every three to six months after initial |
| activity per day back into our schools. We will apply | | | | introduction of the program. |
| the lead-by-example approach and show our kids | | | | Step 5: Again |
| how important physical activity is. | | | | Do it again. Again emphasizes a repeat of the |
| If the schools do not have the funds to hire | | | | previous steps of assess, train and sustain. The |
| additional teachers to implement physical activity of | | | | program never ends. It is indefinite and physical |
| 60 minutes per day, a volunteer corps of certified | | | | activity is maintained. School-based physical activity of |
| personal trainers needs to be established to institute | | | | at least 60 minutes daily is now well established. |
| the physical activity program. No child should be left | | | | Everything we say, do and do not do has an impact |
| behind when it comes to health and academic | | | | on how we live as well as how our children live. |
| performance. | | | | Waves of influence have been pouring out to lead a |
| Cut through all the planning committees and trial | | | | sedentary lifestyle and overeat along with other |
| periods, and take the program out of the | | | | unhealthy behaviors. It's time to turn this trend |
| bureaucracy and put it to work. There has been | | | | around and change our culture from a sedentary one |
| enough planning and enough programs readily | | | | to one that is activities-based and healthy. We owe it |
| available. See the federal programs President's | | | | to our children. We are their leaders and role models. |
| Challenge at | | | | Take care of our children and show them the way. |
| Here is a highly effective five-step program to | | | | Publishing Rights: You may republish this article in your |
| achieve and maintain school-based health and fitness | | | | website, newsletter, or book, on the condition that |
| of our children and those who are their leaders. | | | | you agree to leave the article, author's signature, and |
| Step 1: Find-a-way Mindset | | | | all links intact. |
| Step 2: Assess | | | | The author of this article is Lt. Col. Bob Weinstein, |
| Step 3: Train | | | | USAR-Ret., boot camp fitness instructor and personal |
| Step 4: Sustain | | | | trainer. |