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Daily physical activity (PA) benefits children's and adolescents' overall health while reducing the likelihood of obesity. Elementary school physical education (PE) classes provide opportunities for children and adolescents not only to participate in PA but also to build the knowledge and skills needed to be physically active across their lifetime. Physical Best (PB) is one program physical educators might use to develop students' physical literacy and skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of PB program inclusion on elementary PE students' PA levels and health-related fitness knowledge (HRFK). Three activity games were paired once with a PB fitness concept-based warm-up activity and once with a traditional warm-up activity for six lessons. PA levels of elementary school students (n = 75, 30 males, 45 females) were recorded with both movement tracking bracelets and heart monitors during these six PE lessons. Means were calculated for movements and time in and above target heart rate zone (TZ) by warm-up type (PB vs. traditional), sex, and grade level. An HRFK assessment given to students pre- and postintervention assessed changes in fitness knowledge. Repeated-measures analysis of variances were utilized in the comparison of sex and grade level differences in relation to movements, TZ minutes, and HRFK assessment scores. Overall, children had significantly more movements in the PB lessons compared with traditional lessons (p < .05), while there was no difference in TZ minutes. HRFK assessment scores increased from pre- to post intervention (p < .05). Children accrued more movements in PB warm-up lessons than in traditional warm-up lessons but exhibited no difference in PA intensity. Children also increased HRFK from pre- to post-PB experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small portion of American children, adolescents, and adults are affected by attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a chronic mental condition that includes a variety of symptoms. The brain activity of individuals with ADHD is abnormal in its characteristics of neurotransmitter activity during tasks that require attention. Symptoms are often treated with medication that stimulates attention levels. For individuals diagnosed with ADHD, these pharmaceutical interventions are often paired with structured social and behavioral support as well as dietary modifications for further remediation of symptoms. In addition, physical activity (PA) interventions present additional nonpharmaceutical opportunities that reduce ADHD symptoms. This article presents an extensive literature review assessing the notion that neuroactivation and attentional performance of children and adolescents with ADHD can be optimized with interventions of PA. Overall, research has suggested that PA interventions that are free of cost and do not rely on health care professionals can be easily adapted into a daily schedule for individuals with ADHD and effectively prepare individuals for bouts of attentional effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using whole child approaches and promoting the development of social and emotional learning skills are educational priorities in today's K-12 schools. SHAPE America's heath.moves.minds. program helps school and community personnel address these priorities via movement-based lessons. PETE faculty can address several national standards and competencies by embedding this new curriculum and fundraiser within their existing curriculum while fostering teacher candidates' knowledge and skills to address whole school approaches in their future career settings. This article describes how faculty at one PETE institution has progressively integrated heath.moves.minds. throughout its program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the effect of Physical Best (PB) Curriculum on activity levels of children in physical education class. Activity levels of elementary school students (N=92, males = 50, females = 42) were recorded throughout six normally scheduled physical education class periods. Students participated in both traditional and PB curriculums and were asked not to change any physical activity and performance behaviors during data collection. Activity levels were recorded with movement tracking bracelets and heart rate monitors; which, provided averages for steps and timein-target-zone (TZ) per class period. Paired sample t-tests were used to compare steps and TZ between the two groups. Overall, students did not record as many steps or time in target heart rate zone while participating in lessons that began with a PB warmup. The differences of average steps and TZ recorded between PB and traditional curriculums were significant (p< 0.05) for all grades and gender, except third grade girls. The elementary school students in this study recorded, on average, fewer movements and spent less time in their target heart rate zone during PB activities than in their traditional activities. However, student knowledge of their own fitness outcomes may motivate them to be physically active outside of class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports are popular across the nation and youth sport participation is at an all-time high, yet children are quitting youth sports at an alarming rate. If this trend is going to change, several areas of concern must be addressed. The climate created on youth teams can be polarizing, having the potential for significant positive or negative developmental effects. Therefore, the authors explore achievement goals, motivational climate and personal development, and TARGET descriptions. They offer suggestions for coaches, such as creating a mastery climate or fostering a more positive environment, so this negative trend can hopefully be curbed. Creating a mastery climate presents an environment in which children feels competent and successful and could be the key important factor in their continued participation in youth sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]