Physical activity: a leading academic indicator

1. Aaron Beighle, Ph.D. Physical activity: a leading academic indicator

3. Physical Activity: A leading health indicator • Active adults have a decreased risk of: • Heart disease • Stroke • Type 2 diabetes • High blood pressure • Metabolic syndrome • Colon and breast cancers • Weight gain • Depression • Active children and adolescents have: • Favorable body composition • Improved bone health • Improved cardiovascular and metabolic health biomarkers • Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression • Reduced weight gain • Decreased risk of depression DHHS. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2008)

4. Health and Learning • Healthier students are better learners • Educationally relevant health issues • Vision and Hearing • Pregnancy • Violence • Nutrition • Inattention • Hyperactivity • Physical Inactivity • Others Basch, 2010

5. Physical Activity: A leading academicindicator • Improves cognition via blood flow to the brain • Decreases misbehavior • Increases attentiveness • Improves concentration • Enhanced memory • Improved math and reading skills • Improved comprehension

6. Terminology Physical Activity (PA): Bodily movement that is produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle and that substantially increases energy expenditure (USDHHS, 1996) Exercise: Leisure time physical activity conducted with the intention of developing physical fitness. Fitness: A set of attributes that people have or achieve relating to their ability to perform physical activity (USDHHS, 1996)

7. Limiting Factors on Fitness Test Performance

8. Is Fitness the Right Goal for Youth? • Fitness is a product that many can’t reach, no matter how hard they try • Fitness as an outcome sends the wrong message • If you pass the test you are healthy and don’t need to be active • If you fail the test and are active, it says you are unfit…so why try? • Some people are non-responders to fitness activities • Winning the battle and losing the war • Am I anti-fitness?

9. Physical Activity Dance Recreation Exercise Leisure Activities Others Sports

10. CDC’s Review of School Physical Activity and Academic Performance • Association between school-based PA and academic performance • Cognitive abilities and attitudes • Academic behaviors • Academic performance • Areas included: • Physical education classes • Recess • Classroom breaks • Extracurricular

11. Big Picture Findings • The 43 articles (50 studies) included 251 tested associations between physical activity and academic performance • The most commonly measured indicator of academic performance was cognitive skills an abilities (112 of 251 associations tested) • 50.5% of all associations tested were positive. • 1.5% of all associations tested were negative (4 of 251)

12. So What? • PA can impact academic performance • PA can have an impact on cognitive skills and attitudes and academic behavior • Time allocated for PA or PE does not appear to adversely impact, academic performance

13. So how do we do this?

16. National Support • National Physical Activity Plan • National Association for Sport and Physical Education • American Heart Association • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • National Football League

17. The Need for a Champion • If schools are leaders, who leads the leader? • Who has the training and background? • Who can be a champion? • Physical educator • Health educator • Extension agents/Family resource personnel • Nurses • Parents • A village?

18. Quality Physical Education

19. Standards-based curriculum • Best practices for instruction • FRIG’N PE • Student centered • Focuses on PA and makes it the core of the program Pangrazi, R. & Beighle, A (2013) Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Children. Pearson; San Francisco, CA.

20. Prepares students for a lifetime of activity • Success • Attitudes, skills, and knowledge • 30 minutes of quality PE can contribute 20% of a child’s physical activity per day • 50% MVPA??????

21. Classroom Physical Activity

22. Classroom PA is one area in which children can accumulate valuable amounts of physical activity throughout the school day.

23. Likewise, PA provides an alternative context in which teachers can introduce academic content.

24. Physical Activity Levels • Integration provides valuable amounts of PA at various intensity levels for children (Erwin et al., in press; Oliver, Schofield, & McEvoy, 2006; Stewart et al., 2004) • Value and enjoyment of PA (Lowden et al., 2001)

25. Classroom-Based Physical Activity and Learning • PA does not detract (Ahamed et al., 2007; Della Valle et al., 1986; Maeda & Randall, 2003) • On-task behavior (Mahar et al., 2006; Maeda & Randall, 2003; Molloy, 1989) • Concentration (Lowden et al., 2001; Norlander et al., 2005) • Memory (Della Valle et al., 1986) • Comprehension (Uhrich & Swalm, 2007) • Reading and math skills (Fredericks et al., 2006)

26. Intensity Intensity is related to performance (Castelli et al., 2011) Light PA = attentional reset Moderate PA = lasting effects up to 60-mins Vigorous PA = Initial fatigue, but effects last longer (Phillips, 2011; Tomporowski, 2003)

27. Teacher Perceptions • Facilitators • Importance of children’s PA (Parks, Solmon, & Lee, 2007) • Willing to integrate movement (Parks, Solmon, & Lee, 2007) • Fun (Lowden et al., 2001) • Children enjoy it (Lowden et al., 2001) • Positive part of students’ day (Lowden et al., 2001)

28. Teacher Perceptions • Barriers • Low priority for health/physical education (Dwyer et al., 2001) • High priority for standardized testing • PA/PE not tested • Lack of significant infrastructure • Inadequate facilities and/or equipment

29. Teacher Perceptions • Teachers employing little or no integration of movement into classrooms (Parks, Solmon, & Lee, 2007) • Need support to successfully integrate (Parks, Solmon, & Lee, 2007)

30. Practical Strategies • Tie PA to academic content

31. Deal or No Deal February 22, 2012 Math • Grade Level – 4th  • Formation – Scattered • Equipment: None • Rules/Directions: • Write math expression on board (this can be a basic problem up to inequalities or order of operations). • If the problem is true, the students do a locomotor activity. If it is false they do a non-locomotor activity. • If false, they must decide how to make the statement true. They must then tell a neighbor how to make it true and explain the correct answer.

33. Practical Strategies • Tie PA to academic content • Use available resources • Activity Cards (Pangrazi, Beighle, & Pangrazi, 2009) • Word movement collection

35. Practical Strategies • Tie PA to academic content • Use available resources • Activity Cards (Pangrazi, Beighle, & Pangrazi, 2009) • Word movement collection • Select appropriate times for activity breaks • Organize laminated cards • Create space in classroom

37. Practical Strategies • Provide PE preparation courses • Ice Breakers • Active Recess • School Parties • Videos • Provide PD for classroom teachers • Make them aware of resources • Management • Freezing • Grouping • Instruction time • Retrieving equipment

38. Practical Strategies • Vary instructional areas within each classroom • Hands-on learning • Stability balls as chairs? • Standing desks?

39. Recess

40. The Fourth R(Waite-Stupiansky & Findley 2001) • “Time scheduled during the school day but outside the classroom allowing students to participate in both physical and social activities of their choosing” (Beighle, 2012) • Provides time to: • Refresh the brain • Socialize • Have fun • Solve problems • Play • Be active?????

41. What We Know about Recess • Girls are active 15%-52% of recess time; Boys are active 16%-68% of recess time • Recess can contribute as much as 40% of a child’s daily physical activity • Only 12% of states require recess • Only 20% of districts have wellness policies requiring recess • Recess offered throughout the day can improve student behavior and concentration

42. Source of Data: United States Department of Education, NCES, Fast Response Survey System, 2005

43. Increase Physical Activity During Recess: What works? • Training recess supervisors Connolly & McKenzie 1995; Huberty, Siahpush, Beighle et al 2010 • Painting playgrounds with murals and lines Loucaides, Jago, and Charalambous2009; Ridgers, Stratton, Fairclough et al 2007; Stratton and Mullan2005)

44. What Works? • Dividing the play space into “activity zones” Ridgers, Stratton, Fairclough, et al 2007 • Providing recess equipment encourages children to be active Verstraete, Cardon, De Clercq, et al 2006 • Integrating several low-cost approaches can increase student physical activity Loucaides, Jago, and Charalambous 2009; Huberty, Siahpush, Beighle et al 2010

45. Points to Ponder • More frequent, but shorter, recess periods • Unintended consequences of policies suggesting activity time during recess can not be taken away for punishment • Temperature policies • Recess before lunch • Extra recess as a reward or party “treat”

46. Physical activity during the school day: What can it mean • Erwin, et al (2011). Health Promotion Practice • USDHHS (2000). Healthy People 2010. • Beighle, et al (2006). Journal of School Health

47. Physical activity and schools • Physical activity is warranted • Health and academic benefits • Schools offer an excellent opportunity but a champion is essential • Start small and with those who are interested • Be persistent • Remember, “It’s about kids”

48. Aaron Beighle beighle@uky.edu