Original Posting on President Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition's blog: http://fitness.gov/blog-posts/whole-school-approach-physical-activity.html

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released a report entitled “Educating the Student Body:  Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School.”  With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the report committee was tasked with: 1) assessing the status of physical activity and physical education in schools; 2) reviewing the science behind the effects of physical activity on health, development and academic performance in youth; and 3) making recommendations appropriate with the scientific evidence.

Central to the Committee’s recommendations is a Whole of School approach to physical activity programming.  With this approach, quality physical education is at the core for all students, and other opportunities are provided throughout the school day to ensure that all students meet the youth recommendations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans—at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day. Such opportunities include active transport to and from school, intramural and extramural sports, recess, active classroom lessons, and before and after school activities.  These strategies, when taken together, can help children achieve the recommended daily physical activity which can lead to better health, development and academic performance.

Historically, schools have played a central role in the health of our nation’s children.  Nutrition (breakfast and lunch), immunization and health screening programs also play a key role in the school setting because healthy students are better able to learn.  The science base that supports physical activity for good health, development and helping students reach their full academic potential strongly suggests that physical activity should be given the same attention as other programs for the sake of our children.

*Notes: Dr. Kohl (the author) chaired the IOM committee that released the “Educating the Student Body:  Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School” report.  PCFSN Council member, Dr. Jayne Greenberg, also served on the IOM committee that issued this report. 

Resources:

• Video of key findings from the IOM report.
• IOM report summary http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2013/Educating-the-Student-Body-Taking-Physical-Activity-and-Physical-Education-to-School.aspx

Written by: J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health

Cross-posted from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition blog

Fitness is a word that means something different to everyone.  For some, it’s a necessity.  A prerequisite for health and wellbeing.  For others, it’s a journey.  A work in progress.  An aspiration.  An opportunity.

For me, fitness is exhilaration: the rush of bursting from the blocks at the start of a 200m race; the thrill of sprinting down a basketball court in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.  Sports, I found as a shy teenager – and as one of the few students of color at my high school – was a means of expressing myself that often seemed truer than anything else, and an outlet that opened up so many more doors of opportunity.  As an athlete, I learned lessons about leadership, teamwork, and perseverance that remain with me to this day.

But committing to physical fitness doesn’t have to mean running laps on a track, stepping onto a basketball court, or even joining a gym.  It doesn’t have to involve fancy equipment or expensive gear.  And it doesn’t mean winning races or setting records.  Physical fitness, as I have told kids and parents in my work as a pediatrician, is for everyone.  No matter what you look like, where you come from, or what your means, you can get active and get moving.  You can make physical activity a way of life.  You can improve your health, and jumpstart a better future. 

In the face of our country’s obesity epidemic, it is more important than ever that we inspire kids and families to make physical fitness a lifelong habit.  Perhaps more than any other health issue, obesity provides a clear example of the racial and ethnic health disparities that have been so costly for communities of color and for our country as a whole.  Minorities are far more likely than the rest of the population to be overweight and obese – and to suffer from related conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. Studies show that minority adults are less likely to be physically active.  Students of color are less likely to attend physical education classes on a regular basis.

Even as the Affordable Care Act is reducing health disparities by making health care more affordable, strengthening access to quality care, and promoting prevention and wellness, we know that minorities face many more barriers to health and fitness.  They also face challenges in many of the places where they live, work, learn, and play – places where the social determinants of health are stacked against our most vulnerable and underserved communities.  I heard the stories and worries of the parents of my patients as they told me that their neighborhoods and playgrounds weren’t safe for their kids to play in. 

But while these issues are complicated, they are not impossible to overcome.  That is why, under the leadership of First Lady Michelle Obama, our administration has declared an ambitious goal: solving childhood obesity within a generation. 

The First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign is bringing together community leaders, elected officials, educators, health professionals, faith leaders, business leaders, parents, and even kids themselves to bring an end to childhood obesity. 

As schools are stepping up to serve healthier food in their cafeterias, and businesses are working to ensure that more Americans have access to healthy food, elected officials, faith-based organizations, and community groups are finding ways to promote physical activity in their communities.  And with the recent launch of the Let’s Move! Active Schools initiative, we are working to bring physical activity back to schools across the nation – because there is no better place to get kids moving, and no better way to inspire them to be physically active for a lifetime. 

Already, we are seeing communities and states make great strides in finding new ways to help kids get healthy.  But there remains so much more work to be done.  In the movement to bring physical activity into all our lives, and raise healthier generations in all our communities, there are many more opportunities yet.  To learn more and join in, visit www.LetsMove.gov and www.Fitness.gov. 

On January 24, 2013, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter clarifying school's obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to provide extracurricular athletic opportunities for students with disabilites. The guidance creates a clear roadmap for how schools can integrate students with disabilities into mainstream athletic programs and create adapted programs for students with disabilities.

"OCR's guidance is a landmark moment for individuals with disabilities, as it sends a loud message to educational institutions that students with disabilities must be provided opportunities for physical activity and sports equal to those afforded to students without disabilities," said Terri Lakowski, policy chair of the Inclusive Fitness Coalition (IFC) and nationally recognized sports policy advocate.

You may have seen this announcement in the media or through your organization, but what does it all mean and how will this impact extracurricular athletics?

The road towards victory for student athletes with disabilities was relentless. The letter released by the OCR came after ten years of advocacy to level the playing field in school-based athletic programs. The release of the Dear Colleague letter is merely further guidance on what should already be happening for students with disabilities, based on section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The purpose is to clarify school's responsibilities under the law; it does not provide any additional legislation. Similar to Title IX, which paved the way for women to have equal opportunities in sports, the updated guidance will hopefully provide a similar effect for student athletes with disabilities.

Above: Wheelchair athelete Tatyana McFadden, front, races in her first high school track meet alongside able-bodied runners, April 2006 in Rockville, MD. Photo courtesy of (Chris Gardner/AP)

Why are these guidelines important? The benefits of providing ALL students with opportunities for exercise and sports participation goes beyond justice and individual opportunity. There is a major epidemic of obesity among our youth and even more so among youth with disabilities.

"Inclusion in athletics is how children learn from each other, build social skills and optimize their growth and development. The OCR guidance is a clear indication that athletics is an extremely important part of our educational system and that youth and young adults with disabilities must be afforded the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers," said James Rimmer, Ph.D., who co-chairs the IFC and directs the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability. "This should be part of a national strategy to lower obesity rates, which are disproportionately higher among youth with disabilities compared to their non-disabled peers." By providing equal access in extracurricular activities for students with disabilities, maybe we can begin to break down the common barriers to physical activity, and create a new culture of inclusion in our schools and communities.

To ensure equal opportunity does not mean a fundamental alteration to the program, but simply providing a reasonable modification to allow the student athletes with a disability to participate alongside their peers. The Dear Colleague Letter document outlines what constitutes a reasonable modification. One example is to provide a visual cue at the start of high school track races, simultaneously wtih the starter pistol sound, to be inclusive of students with hearing impairments. Another example of a reasonable modification is to allow an individual born with only one hand to be allowed to finish a swim race with a "onehand touch" as opposed to the "two-hand touch" finish rule for certain strokes. As you can see, inclusion can be a reality in all aspects of physical activity. The message is simple: Prevent Obesity, Be Inclusive.

The IFC, led by the Lakeshore Foundation in partnership with the American College of Sports Medicine, comprises over 200 organizations representing a cross-section of disability rights, sports, health/fitness, and civil rights communities. Recognizing the barriers that continue to limit opportunities for physical activity for individuals with disabilities in the school setting, the IFC works to expand opportunities for physical activity, exercise and athletics for individuals with disabilities. For more information, please visit www.incfit.org and www.lakeshore.org.