The relative effectiveness of a structured physical fitness program for fifth-grade students was compared with the effectiveness of the customary physical education activities. Students in the structured exercise program showed significant improvement in flexibility, strength, and endurance, and maintained gains during the summer. (Author/PP)

This article is based on materials from a questionnaire survey of tenth-graders in the city of Toliatti [Togliatti], conducted by the monitoring division of the Resource Center of the Department of Education. A total of 958 adolescents in eighteen schools took part in the survey in March and April 2005. Nine schools served as "base"…

The Blacksburg (Virginia) municipal government's worksite exercise program, developed in response to rising health insurance premiums, was evaluated to determine its effect on health care costs and employee absenteeism. Thirty-two employees who participated in the program for 4.5 years were compared to 32 nonparticipating employees. The program…

The average elementary or secondary school physical education program has several elements or aspects which should be critically examined. School gym classes rely on routine and uninteresting activities which do not incorporate innovations in motor activities and movement experiences. However, programs designed to meet the needs of special…

The Life Enhancement Afloat-Ashore Program (LEAAP) was a comprehensive worksite health program implemented on five U.S. Navy commands. It addressed substance abuse, fitness, life enhancement skills and behaviors, and recreation awareness and opportunity. The program included videotape education sessions at the worksite; command-sponsored health,…

The M-5 Project is a sequential physical education program for children in the primary grades and intermediate grades. It embodies the main concepts of the movement education approach. Activities are individualized, based on needs identified by results of physical fitness tests, that are carried out in 30-minute daily sessions at a series of six…

The procedures, analyses, results, and discussion of a project which compared three methods of physical education programing for 96 emotionally disturbed children (6 to 14 years of age) in an 8-week summer camp program held during two summers are presented. The first year's program is seen to have served as a field test, with the most reliable…

This study examined the efficacy of a school-based exercise and nutrition program with a parent component. Third-grade children (N = 238) from six elementary schools participated in the study, with three schools randomly assigned to a program group and the other three schools to a control group. The program group received a health-related fitness…

This study examined the effectiveness of three naval service remedial programs. Academic remedial training was established to raise the literacy of marginal Navy recruits to at least the fifth grade level and to help these men function effectively during their enlistments. The physical conditioning platoon was instituted in the Marine Corps to…

This report describes the outcomes of a Wyoming program that provides host families for individuals with developmental disabilities. Host families work with certified Medicaid providers of home and community-based services for people with developmental disabilities and provide residential habilitation to an adult who is accepted as a member of…

A K-6 physical education/classroom program is presented which is designed to promote cardiovascular fitness and respiratory efficiency along with physical, mental, emotional, and social health. It is pointed out that this program costs little, is appropriate for all ages, is simple to put into effect, can be interdisciplinary, and can be extended…

The author reviews research on the effects of motor remediation with the mentally retarded on the areas of motor ability, physical fitness, social and emotional competency, reading achievement, and intelligence. It is concluded that motor development theories have led to an increase of motor training programs for the mentally retarded, and that…

Evaluated Jump into Action, a non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)-prevention program that encouraged students to eat well and exercise regularly to reduce NIDDM risks. Surveys of predominantly Hispanic fifth graders and their teachers at Texas-Mexico border schools indicated that the program increased NIDDM-prevention knowledge and…

National health and fitness data suggests that a significant percentage of children are not on a pathway to leading healthy, physically active lifestyles. Many children are leading sedentary lifestyles due to a lack of opportunity, success, or self-motivation in physical activity. Programs that highlight the use of heart rate monitors offer a…

A growing body of research attests to the value of high-quality out-of-school time (OST) programs in promoting positive youth development. These programs provide environments where young people can engage in academic enrichment, build meaningful relationships with responsible adults and peers, nurture new interests, and develop the social and life…