The Benefits of PE - Summary

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Measured Physical Activity Stops Obesity & ECD

FIGURE 5: Parents Prefer PE in Schools. Parents overwhelmingly favor requiring students to take physical education every day at every grade level, with 85% saying YES to PE in schools.

Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2003

Chronic conditions such as obesity and heart disease begin early in life. Regular, vigorous, measured exercise along with proper diet reverses the damage caused by ECD.³⁸ When children remain physically active, they also reduce the likelihood that these lifestyle-related diseases will afflict them as adults. Vigorous, regular, aerobic activity that sustains elevated heart rates provides the full health benefits of exercise. Only aerobic and weight-bearing activity elevates heart rates sufficient to help prevent diabetes, improve cardiovascular health, increase bone mass, and decrease the risk for obesity and ECD.

Physical Activity Prevents Diabetes

One in four children and one in five teens who are overweight or obese have Type 2 Diabetes.⁴¹ As the number of overweight and obese children increases, so does the number of children at high risk for the disease. Since diabetes is lifestyle based, the best methods for prevention, control, and treatment are improved diet and increased exercise.⁴²

Physical Activity Prevents CVD

Overweight, obesity, and artery damage begin early in life.⁴⁶ About 61% of overweight 5- to 10-year-old children already have one or more signs of cardiovascular disease.¹⁹ The most effective prescription for preventing cardiovascular disease is regular physical activity.²

FIGURE 6: Measuring Effects of Physical Activity. The only scientifically accurate method to measure and determine the effectiveness of school-based physical activity is to use heart rate monitors.

Source: Beth Kirkpatrick & Burton H. Birnbaum, Lessons From the Heart, 1997

Jumping Develops Bone Mass

Vigorous exercise and appropriate intakes of calcium and vitamin D are critical during the growth spurt that happens in children just before puberty. When children, especially girls, do not get enough vigorous exercise, their bone mass forms slowly, increasing the risk of osteoporosis later in life. Jumping is the most effective exercise for increasing bone mass.⁴⁸

Aerobic Activity is Assessed Through Objective Measurement

Effective programs use heart rate monitors to assess and ensure the aerobic activity of each child. Monitoring ensures that all children perform within their capabilities and allows children to assess their own progress rather than to make inappropriate comparisons against the performance of their classmates.

A New Science-Based Protocol Impartially Assesses the Effectiveness of Physical Activity Programs

A new physical activity testing protocol was validated in a study conducted at Silver Mesa Elementary School in Sandy, Utah. The study showed that a daily physical activity program which maintains children's heart rates in a training zone (135-190 bpm) for 30+ minutes improves medically recognized biomarkers for obesity and Early Chronic Diseases (ECD).

CONCLUSION
Vigorous, Regular, Aerobic Physical Activity Improves Grades, Stops Obesity, and Reduces the Risk of ECD

FIGURE 7: Silver Mesa Study Confirms That Measured Activity Reduces the Risk for ECD in Children. In just five weeks, children in the Silver Mesa Study realized the following benefits:

Exercised in the "heart rate training zone" 60-70% of the time
(135-190 bpm)
Ran almost 700 yards further
(in ten minute tests)
Reduced total cholesterol 6x more
Reduced HDL cholesterol 8x more
Reduced HbA1c readings
(a measure of diabetes) by 2x
Reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) level (a measure of heart disease)
by 3x

Source: Silver Mesa Study, 2003.

The need for regular, vigorous, and aerobic
in-school physical activity is clear and compelling:

Regular, vigorous, and aerobic, physical activity improves scholarship and academic performance of school children.
Physical activity resources are most appropriately and best administered in schools; they add an indispensable dimension to the educational process.
Measured and validated aerobic activity programs based on scientific data are more effective in improving academics, stopping obesity, and preventing ECD.

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