Short Activity Bursts Make it Easier to Work Physical Fitness into the School Day

Criteria:   Excellent physical fitness program investigated by high quality research institutions; low-key implementation and accessibility for school districts with needs regarding physical fitness and obesity prevention

Key Takeaway: Get inspired by the ABC (Activity Bursts in the Classroom) for Fitness Program, a practical, low-cost approach that bolsters physical activity in schools without disrupting academic focus. This innovative program, successfully trialed by over 1200 students in Missouri, empowers teachers with methods to intersperse short physical activities throughout the day, enhancing student fitness, potentially reducing reliance on asthma and ADHD medications, and complementing teaching efforts rather than competing with them. An added bonus? It could be a major hit with parents, who increasingly view schools as key players in combating childhood obesity.

Summation and Insights:  School districts looking to increase physical activity for children and to combat childhood obesity will be excited to hear about the ABC (Activity Bursts in the Classroom) for Fitness Program.  This successful and popular word of mouth program is also an excellent choice for school districts lacking physical fitness facilities or financing or who may be concerned about taking time away from an academic curriculum.  The ABC program operates by having classroom teachers provide brief bursts of physical activity throughout the day.  Activity bursts are at the teacher’s discretion and can be structured around different objectives that enhance the day’s learning.  For example, an activity burst might be used to provide a break between classes or to shed off excess energy and refocus on class (basic activity bursts) or to facilitate hands-on learning in a given subject, such as music, math, or health class (activity bursts for learning and fitness).  All types of activity bursts consist of a three-step exercise sequence with a warm-up, an aerobic or strength activity (ie: jogging, dancing to music, hopscotch, activities such as lunges or squats), and a cool-down period.

The ABC Fitness Program was featured in this academic study produced by a partnership between the Independence School District (ISD) in Independence, Missouri and Yale University’s Prevention Research Center.  The goal of the study was to promote health and combat obesity.  Over 1200 students from grade 2 to grade 4 participated, with some students in a control group and others in an intervention group that participated in the ABC fitness initiatives.  Students who participated in the ABC program were shown to have stronger physical fitness scores, including aerobic capacity and muscle strength.  One particularly interesting finding was that students who improved their physical fitness also experienced a decrease in the need for both asthma and ADHD medications.  Though there is a further need for studies correlating academic and physical achievement, the intervention and control group of students both scored well and had no significant differences on the Missouri Academic Performance or MAP tests.  

The ABC Fitness program will be of interest to educators looking for low-cost and effective solutions to create more physical fitness initiatives in school districts.  Studies suggest that the ABC program can compliment rather than compete with teaching, as well as improve student fitness, reduce the need for medication, and even be positively implemented into practices that a teacher may use to manage the classroom or enhance learning initiatives.  The ABC Fitness Program is also a potential winner with parents, as some nationwide surveys suggest that parents look to school districts for solutions to combat obesity even more so than government or health care providers.

Resource:     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901580/

Source: David L. Katz, MD, MPH, Daniel Cushman, Jesse Reynolds, MS, Valentine Njike, MD, MPH, Judith A. Treu, MS, RD, Catherine Katz, PhD, Jennifer Walker, MEd, and Erica Smith. (2010) “Putting Physical Activity Where It Fits in the School Day: Preliminary Results of the ABC (Activity Bursts in the Classroom) for Fitness Program”. Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy. v7(4):A82NIH Report.

Primary Author:  David L. Katz, https://davidkatzmd.com/