Curriculum renews focus on youths' physical fitness

[coffee-guy]

Ofelia Madrid
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 21, 2006 12:00 AM

With one in every three children expected to develop diabetes sometime in his or her lifetime, schools across the country are trying to change the physical habits of their students.

"The statistics are scary," says Dr. Marvin Bell, associate medical director of family medicine at Scottsdale Healthcare.

But hope is not lost.

"We can fix problems before they get worse," Bell says. The problems associated with obesity can be avoided with daily exercise and a healthy diet.

Teachers at Yavapai Elementary School in Scottsdale hope a new fitness curriculum will help.

Project Fit America is a two-year youth-fitness and obesity-prevention curriculum sponsored by Scottsdale Healthcare. The project includes lesson plans for teachers and new fitness equipment.

The 797 students at Yavapai now have a seven-station fitness center that includes a step station, parallel bars, a horizontal ladder, sit-up station, chin-up station, vault station and a pole climb.

The new equipment is helping 11-year-old Alexus Ortega get energized, she says.

"The pole climb is the most fun because you have to pull yourself up," Ortega says.

Sixth-grader Erienne Lundy is also enjoying the new equipment. "The hardest to do is the pull-ups," she said.

[coffee-guy]

This is the type of stuff that should be at the front of politicians political agendas if they want to make me vote for them...

[coffee-guy]

Taking fitness in their stride

A SCARBOROUGH area school has taken great strides in encouraging its pupils to walk to school.
Last year, two out of three pupils at Seamer and Irton School were dropped off in cars at the school gates but the trend has since been reversed with almost the same number arriving on foot.

Headteacher Jenny Henshaw said much of the success was down to the efforts of parents setting off earlier in the morning and parking away from the school.

She said: "Our school is in a cul-de-sac and there used to be hundreds of cars – now there are very few.

"When I stand outside the front of the school meeting and greeting, in the past all I could hear was traffic. Now all I can hear is the tramping of feet and birds singing.

"It's especially commendable in January and February when it's freezing cold and dark. But I think they're enjoying it.

"The parents say it's nice to have those few minutes to walk and chat, and some are walking all the way from Crossgates."

For those who have further to travel, the park and stride scheme offers several places to park, allowing pupils to walk at least some of the way to school.

Mrs Henshaw was hopeful even more parents would choose to leave their car behind with the arrival of spring.

The introduction of the scheme followed a travel survey carried out last year with the aim of improving road safety and promoting healthy options for the school's 318 pupils.

21 February 2006