Fitness is Fun!
January 2008

Greetings from the office of the President's Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program! You have received the January 2008 issue of Fitness is Fun, the official e-mail distribution of the President's Challenge. These monthly e-mails will keep you updated on our programs, activities of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) and other current information pertaining to health and fitness.

Fitness Question of the Month for January:

Many people make New Year’s Resolutions. If yours is pertaining to physical activity or fitness, what actions are you taking to ensure you keep your resolution?

Please respond via E-mail to The President's Challenge at preschal@indiana.edu. We'll include the most insightful responses in the February issue of Fitness is Fun. Be sure to view the responses to December's Fitness Question near the end of this newsletter.

Have you or someone else motivated a group of children or adults to lead a healthier life? Email us your story at Preschal@indiana.edu and it could be featured in next month’s newsletter!

PCPFS NEWS:

The National President's Challenge is coming!
A HEALTHIER NATION: “IT’S EVERYONE’S CHALLENGE!!!”
The PCPFS will be launching a National Challenge on March 20, 2008. This physical activity challenge will help Americans of all ages "Spring into Action" by utilizing the President's Challenge website to track physical activity. Information will be coming soon on how individuals, families, organizations, schools, business, and industries can make their state the most active. The Challenge will take place from March 20th to May 15th. Look for more information in upcoming issues of Fitness Is Fun, on the President's Challenge website, and, on the PCPFS website. To get more information on the National Challenge you can read the National Challenge Fact Sheet.

School Health Policies and Program Study 2006
The Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) published in the Journal of School Health the findings of the School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006. SHPPS 2006 is the largest and most comprehensive assessment of America's school health policies and programs to date. This report describes key school health policies and practices across all eight school health program components: health education, physical education and activity, health services, mental health and social services, nutrition services, healthy and safe school environment, faculty and staff health promotion, and family and community involvement.

To read more on the use of the President’s Challenge and the Fitnessgram in this report please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/SHPPS.

Healthy People 2020
PCPFS, as co-lead with the CDC of the Physical Activity and Fitness Objectives of Healthy People 2010 is embarking on the development of a vision and focus for Healthy People 2020. An interactive process, public opinion is welcomed via written and oral comments at regional hearings which will take place this spring in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Fort Worth, DC, and San Francisco. You can view updates and schedules at http://www.healthypeople.gov.

National Wear Red Day – Feb. 1st
National Wear Red Day —February 1, 2008— is a day when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness. This observance promotes the Red Dress symbol and provides an opportunity for everyone to unite in this life-saving awareness movement by showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, or tie, and Red Dress Pin.

Join The Heart Truth campaign in supporting National Wear Red Day by wearing red and using the ideas and tools below to help spread the word that heart disease is the #1 killer of American women and visit: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/wrd/pdf/dropin-ad_508.pdf.

PCPFS Physical Activity & Fitness Research Digest
The PCPFS Fitness Research Digest is published quarterly by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The Research Digest began in 1971 by H. Harrison Clark, Ed.D., a research professor of physical education at the University of Oregon. In keeping with H. Harrison Clark’s original intent, the editorial team does its best to identify and produce Digests that are current to the fields of physical activity, fitness, physical education, and sports. To subscribe to the Digest please visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org/misc/news_research/research_digest.aspx.

Acting U.S. Surgeon General Galson and NIH Director Zerhouni Announcement
Acting U.S. Surgeon General Galson, NIH Director Zerhouni announced expanded efforts to address the nationwide childhood overweight epidemic. A new partnership between the National Institutes of Health's We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition) program and the Association of Children's Museums (ACM) will expand efforts to address the epidemic of childhood overweight. In addition, three major cities -- Boston, Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas -- will be designated as We Can! Cities. We Can!, a science-based national education program to help children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight, is now being implemented in more than 450 community sites in 44 states. We Can! is a science-based national education program developed by the National Institutes of Health -- a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- to help children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight through improving food choices, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time.

For more information, visit: http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or call toll-free 866-35-WE CAN (866-359-3226).

President's Challenge NEWS:

Track your Time Ad Campaign and SCREENSAVER
The President's Challenge recently launched an ad campaign featuring an all new set of characters being physically active. The characters highlight the importance of being physically active and promote the tracking tools on the President's Challenge website. These characters are also highlighted on the 2007-08 President's Challenge poster and in the instruction booklet. The ads can be found on our website at: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/misc/news_research/press_room.aspx under Media Downloads. There is also a screensaver version to remind everyone to track their time.

Have you or someone else motivated a group of children or adults to lead a healthier life? Email us your story at preschal@indiana.edu. and it could be featured in next month’s newsletter!

UPCOMING EVENTS

2008 will be a stellar year with a diverse menu of new tools, resources and guidelines for physical activity. Stay tuned to future issues for up to the minute information on:

Information on the development of the vision for Healthy People 2020
The release of the Physical Activity Guidelines
The National President's Challenge
May, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
Opportunity to become a State Champion; Model School; PCPFS Demonstration Center

The 2008 President's Challenge Exhibit Schedule

National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)
Indianapolis, IN
March 25-28, 2008
http://www.ncea.org

National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
Nashville, TN
April 4-8, 2008
http://www.naesp.org

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
Ft. Worth, TX
April 8-12, 2008
http://www.aahperd.org

NEWS AND RESEARCH

Grants Awarded to Research Interactive Gaming and Health
Health Games Research is an $8.25 million national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) that supports outstanding research to enhance the quality and impact of interactive games used to improve health. The program will offer two rounds of funding, with awards made in 2008 and 2009, to support research on games that (1) increase physical activity and/or (2) games that improve self-care. The goal is to develop theoretically grounded, evidence-based principles for designing and implementing health games successfully, keeping in mind the unique needs of specific populations of end users.

The Deadline for proposals is Jan 29, 2008. For detailed information, go to http://www.healthgamesresearch.org/.

Grant awarded to study aquatic health benefits in people with type-2 diabetes
More than one in five people over the age of sixty have type-2 diabetes. There is a strong genetic disposition for type-2 diabetes but this disease also increases with age, excess weight, and inactivity. Exercise and diet are the key recommendations on the control and prevention of type-2 diabetes. Diabetes health care professionals have struggled for years with finding an appropriate form of physical activity that can achieve the desired health benefits of exercise while being acceptable to the majority of patients with type-2 diabetes.

The National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) board of directors awarded a grant to Dr. Guy Hornsby, Ph.D., CDE, of the West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, West Virginia, to study the psychological and physiological effects of land-versus water-based exercise with patients who have type-2 diabetes. Dr. Hornsby explains that drop out rates in exercise might be high because they don’t particularly enjoy the exercise they are doing. He explains, “We will be working with two groups of 16 patients-land-and water-based and hope that, at the end of the 12 months, to see positive fitness and health results from both the water-and land-based patients and anticipate a higher level of enjoyment from the water-based group.” Researchers are hoping their study will find their needs to be improvements to the compliance to the standard prescription guideline of exercise and diet. Overall, the grant helps create the science to understand how aquatic activity can help the fight against diabetes.

For more information, contact Laurie Batter at batterup@batterupproductions.com or 760-438-9304.

Physical Education and Active Play Help Teens Maintain Normal Weight as Adults
Adolescents who participate in physical education at school are more likely to maintain a normal weight as young adults, according to a new study. For each weekday of physical education at school the odds of being an overweight adult decreased by 5 percent. Participation in all five days of physical education decreased the odds of being an overweight adult by 28 percent.

For more information, visit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080107181345.htm.

Eating out can have both positive and negative impact on obesity
Eating out instead of cooking at home continues to increase as a factor impacting the American diet. Americans face a large variety of food options and food establishments when choosing to eat out. Do the choices of available restaurants matter to America's rising obesity? Researchers found that the availability of more fast food restaurants compared to full service restaurants can contribute to higher levels of obesity.

For more information, visit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080109094356.htm.

President's Challenge "Fitness is Fun" Pedometer Challenge
Are you and a group up for the pedometer challenge? Try wearing a pedometer to see if you are more motivated to stay active. This is a great way for you, your family or a group start the New Year’s off right! Please email your results to preschal@indiana.edu. We will feature the results in February’s newsletter. Good luck! If you do not have a pedometer, visit our order center and order yours today.
View our StepLinq Pedometer.
View our TrekLinq Pedometer.

julie sweet SKATING IS FOR EVERYONE

Julia Sweet
Fitness Mom®

Skating is like bicycling. Once you've done it, you almost always remember how to do it! So, don't be timid - take the family out for a Saturday afternoon of public skating! You'll miss all the fun if you just sit on a cold bench - join in and you can burn a formidable 400 calories an hour, depending on several factors, including how gracefully you glide across the ice. The more you flounder, the more you'll burn - there are benefits to being a novice! Whirling around the rink with the kids gives the family a terrific cardiovascular and lower body workout. Chances are they'll do it for hours, which is the key to getting into shape.

Here are a few tips to keep your family free of injury.

SAFETY TIPS

Keep your head up watching for hazards on the ice, marred surfaces, fallen skaters.

Resist the temptation to listen to music on a headset; you'll need all your senses engaged.

Dress warmly and in layers. Tuck your scarf into your jacket. Better yet, just use "neck gaiters".

Make sure your skates fit properly and are tightly laced. Sharp skates are more responsive than dull ones - so make regular visits to the skate shop for a sharpening and replace laces as needed. Wear skate guards as soon as you get off the ice.

When you get ready to "disembark" off the ice, give yourself a minute to transition onto the land surface. It can be challenging to walk in skates if you are not a regular skater.

When you’re tired, sit down and rest. You are more likely to fall when you are fatigued.

Don't allow your children to rough-house or show off - making other people fall is not the way to make friends at a rink!

Have you thought about just walking over to your neighborhood pond after a few days of the deep-freeze? Nothing seems more "Currier and Ives" than that, but here are some words of caution that you need to convey to your children.

Don't ever skate on a pond without expressed o.k. from the local authorities who have safety checked the specific area you plan to skate on.

Please tell your children never, ever to walk on ice. There can be thick and thin spots on seemingly solid ice.

Don't follow a dog to get him off the ice. Just call him to come back.

Don't skate alone or after dusk.

PRACTICE AT HOME

Not up for going to a rink? Build one yourself if you have a level yard -and then hope for a freezing cold winter!

You can build one yourself: http://www.jfreeman.com/skating.html

When all else fails and the kids want to skate, but you can't get to a rink - try this. Put plastic bags on your children's stocking feet and secure them with masking tape or rubber bands. (Not too tight, please!) You may also have success having them push paper plates in their bare feet.

Experiment to see which "alternative" works best with your floor surface. Make some hot chocolate and turn off the heat - and they'll never miss the rink. It's free, easy, fast - and keeps the kids busy. Best of all...it's exercise!

For more fun activities visit www.fitnessmom.com
E-mail Julia Sweet fitnessmom@comcast.net

FITNESS QUESTION OF THE MONTH

What’s your favorite winter fitness activity, and why?

Fitness Question Responses for the Month of December:

My favorite winter fitness activity is walking or running in the newly fallen snow early in the morning! It's a magical way to start my day!
~Catherine

My favorite winter fitness activity is hiking on mountain trails because there aren't any bugs to bite me, I don't have to worry about overheating, and I can see much further.
~Rex

Our family tradition is to search thru fields of trees to pick the best one. We get both exercise & family time. But my favorite activity is building a snowman, making snow angels & having snowball battles with my kids.
~Missy

My favorite winter fitness activity is running. Just the feeling of the cold air in my lungs and when my hands get numb. It makes me feel relaxed after running a good 4 miles in the 30 degree weather.
~Joshua

In winter I like to work outside cutting firewood, clearing brush and building rock walls. There are fewer worries about snakes under rocks, biting insects, poison ivy, scratchy briars and getting overheated. A big bonus is that I get wood to heat my house and new garden spaces!
~Vicki

I think Ice fishing is the most wonderful winter activity. First, there is the excitement of loading all of the equipment into the truck, carrying it from basement to the vehicle. Then the shack must be loaded. Unloading at the lake is enduring and gets the heart beat up. Pull the shack to the fishing spot, usually no less than ¼ mile. Setting up lines back and forth to the minnow bucket, checking tip-ups, dead stick rods, jigging all create a pulse rate.
~James

I really enjoy snowboarding during winter! After a day of snowboarding I can tell I've used every muscle in my body. It's a great feeling being able to have fun and get a workout at the same time. After a day on the slopes we all meet in the lodge to relax and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. Yummy!
~Trisha

REMINDERS:

Remember to fill out State Champion, Model School, and Demonstration Center applications to ensure that your students are rewarded for their hard work! For more information, including application deadlines and guidelines, please visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org/educators/school_recognition.aspx.

SPECIAL THANKS

We would like to extend a special thanks to all of the President's Challenge Advocates. Please visit the Advocates area on the http://www.presidentschallenge.org/ web site to see how companies, organizations and groups are making a difference with the President's Challenge.

FEEDBACK

We would like to hear from you. If you have any topics that you would like to see addressed in Fitness is Fun or any comments regarding this list, please let us know. You can provide them by emailing us at preschal@indiana.edu.

To view past issues of Fitness is Fun visit our website: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/. Enter the site by choosing the appropriate category, then click on "news/research".

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Fitness is Fun! January 2008

Fitness is Fun!
January 2008