America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic. Obesity rates among adults have increased by more than 60% in the last 10 years to where approximately 25% of American adults are obese today. According to Dr. Duane Alexander, Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH, 2003), the number of obese children is…

Participation in strength training is important for older children or young adolescences who wish to improve fitness or participate in sports. When designing strength training programs for our youth this age group is immature anatomically, physiologically, and psychologically. For the younger or inexperienced group the strength training activities…

At 28, Sarah Carter already has an impressive resume--she has worked as a professional cellist, is a pre-med Harvard alumna working at Boston Children's Hospital in the intensive care unit, and is currently applying to medical schools with hopes to enter this fall. But before she does, Sarah has another lofty goal: she is preparing to summit Mt.…

Imagine a partnership of university and community which addresses the needs of the community to keep its citizens healthy as long as possible. Through a planning exercise to address the community's needs in primary health care and health promotion, the university has developed key strategic directions to help support the needs of the community it…

Physical fitness activities are often viewed as monotonous and tedious, so they fail to motivate students to become more physically active. This tedium could be relieved by using a "learning as play" strategy, widely used in other academic disciplines. This article describes how to incorporate fitness into a variety of games so that students do…

Physical educators at all levels have observed learners in a school-based physical education setting as well as physical activity or sport settings outside of organized school curricula demonstrating behaviors deemed inappropriate or inconsistent with professional standards. Because sport is such a public, social, and international phenomenon,…

The ever-rising rate of obesity and the need for increased physical activity for young children is well documented. Data suggests that today's youth are not participating in enough quality health-enhancing physical activity either in or outside of school. Heart rate monitors have been used by adult exercisers for many years to monitor and assess…

For children who do not particularly enjoy physical activity, water can entice and stimulate participation in even the most reluctant. Individuals exercising in water do not feel overheated or sweaty. Fun activities engage the mind in positive thoughts. This reduces focus on how hard something is and creates an "I can do this" outlook that is so…

In 2009, Colorado had the lowest rate of obesity and overweight in the United States with less than 20% of the adult population considered obese or overweight. The health implications are serious because being overweight and/or obese increases the risks for chronic diseases. As a consequence, the incidence of Type II diabetes in adults has tripled…

Introduction: The medical education model provides the basis for athletic training students to learn theoretical and practical skills. Clinical rotations are completed where they apply what they have learned under the direct supervision of a clinical instructor (CI) or approved clinical instructor (ACI). Approved clinical instructors are taught…

A jump rope is a remarkable piece of exercise equipment. It is inexpensive and easy to store, and it can be used by a wide variety of age groups to improve cardiovascular fitness, increase agility, and tone the body's muscles all at the same time. Consequently, the teaching of jump rope skills is highly suitable for physical education classes in…

"Making a Difference in the Classroom: The Reality and Truth of Teaching in Schools Today" makes the case that our schools will continue to struggle until we take an honest approach to what we know works in the classroom. This book is a frank discussion about what teachers face and what teacher candidates should know before they enter…

The youth of today are faced with a big problem; they are becoming more obese every day. The time of children playing outside all day and being extremely active has been overtaken by the television and video games. The days of sitting down as a family and eating a good healthy meal has been replaced by the rush to the nearest fast food…

As physical education programs are required to be more accountable in demonstrating the positive benefits they provide for their students, it becomes more important for physical educators to be able to provide evidence that their students are changing in positive ways. Assessment is an integral part of the teaching/learning cycle. Teaching is…

This article presents strategies for jumping rope for children with visual impairments. Giving choices related to the types of rope and the use of mats is important. In addition, using appropriate instructional strategies and modifications will make jumping rope a skill that the children will enjoy and will lead to their involvement in other…