Integrating Physical Activity into Academic Pursuits

Kappa Delta Pi Record, Winter 2009 by Gaus, Mark D, Simpson, Cynthia G

Children of today may be the first generation in the United States in more than 200 years to have a life expectancy shorter than their parents (Olshansky et al. 2005). Low levels of fitness caused by physical inactivity and poor nutritional habits of many of today's youth may be a contributing factor. Combating low fitness levels with physical activity is of utmost importance, as physical activity enhances one's ability to prevent obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and many other ailments that are detrimental to a healthy body (CDC 1996).

Traditionally, schools have played a role in providing physical activity for youth within the realm of physical education classes. Today's reality, however, is that budget constraints and increased academic accountability have forced districts to reduce, or in some cases, eliminate physical education programs (National Association for Sport and Physical Education and American Heart Association 2006).

To compensate for limited or absent physical education programs, physical educators have an imperative to work collaboratively across the academic disciplines to incorporate physical activity in other ways throughout the school day. Integrating physical activity into the total learning experience can influence healthy behaviors and lifetime choices for students (Weinstein and Rosen 2000). As Hall (2007, 124) argued, "Instead of teachers cutting physical education out of their day to fit in all of their 'core' subject matter, they can integrate it to reinforce subject matter and allow students to get daily physical activity."

60 Minutes Per Day

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education [NASPE] (2002) suggested 60 minutes of physical activity per day, which is less than the time allotted for most physical education programs. The recommended 60 minutes of physical activity can be achieved in a cumulative manner throughout the school day (Strong et al. 2005). This is increasingly difficult to obtain, however, when only an estimated 3.8 percent of elementary schools provide daily physical education (Lee et al. 2007).

Physical education programs cannot achieve the goal of increasing children's physical activity levels in isolation from the rest of the curriculum (Powers et al. 2002). Realizing the limited allocated time for physical education classes, administrators and school personnel have examined methods for embedding physical activity throughout the school day.

Achieving Balance

On two points, few would disagree. First, general education teachers-those who don't teach physical education-can become valuable partners in promoting physical activity. Second, additional amounts of physical activity incorporated throughout the day would assist in efforts to decrease rising rates of childhood obesity. These concepts are not new. For years, educators have provided movement and activity within the realm of the general education classroom (Warner and Sower 2005). Well before issues of overweight and obesity in childhood came to the forefront, teachers believed that movement activities helped to dissipate excess energy and provided students with opportunities to "wind down" or relax.

Current practices, however, suggest that classroom teachers struggle to maintain a balance between implementing the academic core curriculum and providing opportunities for increased physical activity in the classroom environment. Teachers often perceive a need to prioritize instruction directed toward state and national academic accountability standards. As a result, many feel there is little or no time for anything other than teaching toward areas that are directly assessed. 'The same emphasis on improving standardized test scores on a variety of academic disciplines causes many schools to decrease physical education and recess programs for elementary school children, diminishing opportunities for physical activity" (Stewart et al. 2004, 397). This action contradicts research suggesting that physical activity can assist students in performing better academically (Tremblay, lnman, and Willms 2000; Dwyer et al. 2001).

Increasing physical activity in the general education setting could enhance efforts to combat the rising epidemic of childhood obesity and other health concerns while simultaneously improving academic performance. Nonetheless, teachers may be resistant to incorporating physical activity in the classroom. They may be more receptive to the idea if interventions maintain an emphasis on teachers' academic specialization areas and don't consume a large percentage of their academic instruction time (Maeda and Murata 2004).

Integrating Movement

Integrating movement into classroom activities throughout the school day is a practical solution to help children meet the physical activity mandates. The academic pursuits and physical activity can be combined in the form of games and activities that allow learners to focus on a specific subject area or topic with the incorporation of physical movement. These activities may not be as strenuous as many activities performed in a physical education class, nor as lengthy; but small incidental increases in physical activity can reduce sedentary behavior (Saris et al. 2003). Simply participating in several 5-1 0-minute sessions of activity throughout the day will accumulate and provide health benefits equivalent to one 60-minute session (Blair and Connelly 1 996). Furthermore, the movement is not designed to replace, but merely to enhance the physical education program and, consequently, the overall wellness of the learners.