The sport education (SE) model has been used extensively to teach sports at the middle and high school levels, and the flexibility of the model has been demonstrated in its application to fitness units as well. Infusing new content into this well-established and familiar curricular model can increase student motivation and interest while…

The lack of physical activity, low fitness levels, and elevated obesity rates as high as 32% of today's youth are well documented. Many strategies and grants have been developed at the national, regional, and local levels to help counteract these current trends. Strategies have been developed and implemented for schools, households (parents), and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of personal music players (PMPs) during exercise, including their purpose(s), how they affect exercise, and the most common music listened to. A representative sample of 184 undergraduate students from two separate university wellness centers completed a 17-item, content validated questionnaire…

De Coubertin developed the sport philosophy of Olympism and the Olympic Games as a response to social and political crisis to promote peace, fair play, and the development of Christian masculinity. The purpose of this paper is to examine how crisis discourse functions as an important shaper of contemporary understandings of Olympism and how…

The purpose of the study was to determine if currently used FITNESSGRAM[R] cut-off scores for the Back Saver Sit and Reach Test had the best criterion-referenced validity evidence for 6-12 year old children. Secondary analyses of an existing data set focused on the passive straight leg raise and Back Saver Sit and Reach Test flexibility scores of…

Gard [(2008). "When a Boy's Gotta Dance: New Masculinities, Old Pleasures." "Sport, Education and Society," 13(2), 181-193], Booth [(2009). "Politics and Pleasure: The Philosophy of Physical Education Revisited." "Quest," 61(2), 133-153] and Pringle [(2010). "Finding Pleasure in Physical Education: A…

Background: To examine associations of cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity (PA) and weight status with academic achievement 1 year later. In addition, the mediating role of psychological variables was tested. Methods: Longitudinal analyses included 1011 German students (M = 14.1 years, SD = 0.6 years). Cardiorespiratory fitness was…

The purpose of this article is to provide support for middle school physical education programs that meet the developmental needs of students while providing for student choice. With its health and physical education program called Creating Healthy Active Minds for Personal Success (CHAMPS), Moscow Middle School is striving to cultivate student…

"Dance for individuals with Down syndrome has many benefits; however, there is little research on this topic." Down syndrome is the most common "genetic condition," resulting in psychological, physical, and social impairments. There is research to suggest that dance may be a beneficial activity for people with Down syndrome;…

The clinical evaluation of an infant with motor delay, muscle weakness, and/or hypotonia would improve considerably if muscle strength could be measured objectively and normal reference values were available. The authors developed a method to measure muscle strength in infants and tested 81 typically developing infants, 6-36 months of age, and 17…

Background: The Institute of Medicine (2012) concluded that we must "strengthen schools as the heart of health." To intervene for better outcomes in both health and academic achievement, identifying factors that impact children is essential. Study objectives are to (1) document associations between health assets and academic achievement,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the existing model of teaching physical training in secondary schools and the analysis of a game like method introduced to improve physical fitness of students. The authors substantiated the use of a game like method during physical training classes, which implementation should create…

For patients with scoliosis, core stabilization exercises may be beneficial in improving muscle strength and trunk dynamic control. However, few studies have examined whether the erector spinae (ES) activation status during unilateral spinal extensor strengthening meets the guideline for patients with spinal scoliosis. To determine ES activation…

This article discusses 3 ways in which adaptive developmental mechanisms may produce maladaptive outcomes. First, natural selection may favor risky strategies that enhance fitness on average but which have detrimental consequences for a subset of individuals. Second, mismatch may result when organisms experience environmental change during…

In this study, I explored the impact of exergaming on in-class physical activity (PA) and motivation in physical education. Elementary children participated in a 4-week exergaming unit and a 4-week fitness unit. A t test showed the children's in-class PA in the exergaming unit was significantly lower than in the fitness unit. Results also…