Schools Need Activity Breaks to Fight Childhood ObesityJust as adults need to take a break from the workday to get refreshed and refocused, children need a break as well. Computers are more and more a part of the school day, as a result, children experience the same issues adults face; long periods of sitting and potential eye strain. A recent article in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance addresses the importance of activity breaks for students during the school day. Activity breaks can be as short as five minutes or as long as 30 minutes. They include everything from recess to classroom time and is used to engage students in physical activity. Pellegrini and colleagues (1995) studied Japanese school children who received a 10-15 minute activity break every hour. This group concluded activity breaks spread throughout the day help to improve attention and decrease behavior issues often associated with lack of focus in the classroom. The big question is, whether or not these breaks can have an impact outside of school. There is some research that shows activity breaks may help students be more active when the school day is over. We know from experience, children who get used to physical activity like the way they feel during and after it. They are energized and more positive. Sometimes the only physical activity children have is during school. While that is certainly not the best situation, it does make a strong case for activity breaks during the day. Gymtrix DVD's provide the perfect curriculum for activity breaks in preschools, daycares and in K-5 schools! The Gymtrix curriculum can be used by classroom teachers to provide activity breaks from 5-30 minutes. It is the healthy way to boost the brain power of students for focus, attention and learning!
|