Exercise is Medicine™ Month 2009 kicks off in just one month! Here are a few simple things you can do today:
The lack of physical activity in children is a major contributing factor in the increase in obesity in children and adolescents. Consider these facts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
As an educator, you can make a significant contribution to the health of children. During the month of May, we encourage you to bring the Exercise is Medicine™ message to your classroom and ultimately to your student’s families. Share the Exercise is Medicine™ public toolkit with parents and encourage them to take action at home.
Join us in celebrating health and fitness in May for Exercise is Medicine™ Month. There are plenty of ways you can participate, but here a few that may be easy to do in your classroom and with your students. Tell us your story if you plan to participate in other ways.
1. Graph time spent in daily physical activity and television watching. You can do this on individual basis or divide the classroom into teams.
2. Be a role model for your students by sharing what you are doing to increase your own physical activity level.
3. Communicate your Exercise is Medicine™ activities to the parents of your students. Encourage them to become role models too.
4. Focus on your student’s health, not on their weight. Teach them about the health benefits of physical activity, including increases in energy and self-esteem.
5. Do a values clarification lesson. Have students brainstorm daily activities and list them in terms of importance and the benefits they provide. Then assist them in planning regular physical activity into their day.
6. Participate in the "world's largest exercise class" with the Youth Fitness Coalition's Project ACES (All Children Exercise Simultaneously) on the first Wednesday in May. Visit the Project ACES Web site for free materials and more information.
Please submit your classroom promotion ideas to us. As appropriate, we will add them to the list for our visitors to see.
Created by Dr. Robert Sallis during his tenure as president of the American College of Sports Medicine, Exercise is Medicine is a national initiative sponsored by ACSM to make physical activity assessment and exercise prescription a standard part of the disease prevention and treatment paradigm for all patients.
In this DVD program Dr. Sallis presents the concepts, data, and tools that define this groundbreaking program, as well as a description of the extensive nationwide support for Exercise is Medicine.
Click here to view a preview of this DVD, and order a full copy of the DVD here.
