ACTIVITY IN Physical health, Essays (high school) of Physical education

Download ACTIVITY IN Physical health and more Essays (high school) Physical education in PDF only on Docsity! A. TITLE: Best Practices and Recommendations for Increasing Physical Activity in Youth B. SUMMARY: Physical activity has been associated with many benefits throughout the life course. As levels of physical activity appear to be insufficient in large populations, the development of best practices for youth physical activity to promote or maintain activity levels in young people are therefore of key public health concern. Best practices and recommendation for increasing physical activity research in young people is challenging, but this should not be a reason to continue conducting inferior quality evaluations. This paper highlights some of the key issues that require more careful and consistent consideration to enable future research to achieve meaningful impact. Many efforts to increase the physical activity levels of Americans have been introduced and implemented over the past 20 years. National Physical Activity Guidelines have been established, and the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) is now in place, which includes a specific sector dedicated to education. This article addresses the Education Sector of the NPAP and its seven strategies for implementation, as well as an overview of the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program model (CSPAP). Included in this discussion is evidence supporting components of CSPAP, including physical education, in-school physical activity, out-of- school physical activity, staff involvement, and family and community engagement. This article also describes how physical and health educators, university programs, coaches and youth program directors, and higher education faculty can collaborate in implementing and sustaining school-based physical activity efforts. The majority of youth (as younger than 18 years of age) in the United States fail to accumulate the recommended levels of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Barriers exist to youth being physically active. However, potential solutions are available, and strategies have been developed for actions that can increase physical activity participation. A strategy leading to real-world, practical recommendations for addressing the issue of increasing physical activity in youth. Personal, environmental, and social barriers to physical activity exist in schools and have been described. Strategies for overcoming these barriers are vital for improving the health of youth now and also in their adult years. There are seven strategies of the education sector of the NPAP: (Strategy 1) Provide access to and opportunities for high-quality comprehensive physical activity programs, anchored by physical education, in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 educational settings. Ensure that the programs are physically active, inclusive, safe, and developmentally and culturally appropriate. (Strategy 2) Develop and implement state and school district policies requiring school accountability for the quality and quantity of physical education and physical activity programs. (Strategy 3) Develop partnerships with other sectors for the purpose of linking youth with physical activity opportunities in schools and communities. (Strategy 4) Ensure that early childhood education settings for children ages 0 to 5 years old promote and facilitate physical activity. (Strategy 5) Provide access to and opportunities for physical activity before and after school. (Strategy 6) Encourage post-secondary institutions to provide access to physical activity opportunities, including physical activity courses, robust club and intramural programs, and adequate physical activity and recreation facilities. (Strategy 7) Encourage post-secondary institutions to incorporate population-focused physical activity promotion training in a range of disciplinary degree and certification programs. Support within schools the university level play the role of preparing individuals to implement effective physical activity programming and providing evidence-based approaches for use, individuals at the school level are integral in the actual implementation of the approaches available to them. Without the support of the administrators, teachers, staff, and parents, the implementation of additional physical activity opportunities in the school setting would be very difficult. It has been shown that schools that have a supportive administration, that are involved and invested in helping their staff, and that have teachers who implement these programs within their school setting are more likely to make systemic changes. For example, classroom teachers who feel they are supported by the administration may be more likely to integrate classroom physical activity in their classes, as well as provide additional opportunities for physical activity before and after the school day. Given that school personnel are integral in the implementation of physical activity opportunities in the school setting, it is important that they are provided adequate resources and professional development to implement these programs. Many in service teachers have not been taught how to effectively implement physical activity in the school setting. Providing these teachers and school personnel with professional development that focuses on how to implement change is key to successful implementation. As part of this professional development, teachers should be given the resources needed to make changes, have the opportunity to experience the physical activity opportunities themselves, and learn why making these changes is important for both the health and academic learning of students. Recommendation for individuals at different levels play important roles in the creation, development, implementation, and evaluation of physical activity programming for youth, staff, and community members. The next section provides specific recommendations for various groups to successfully implement physical activity