Fitness Programs and Professions

1. Introduction to Physical Education, Fitness, and Sport Daryl Siedentop Fitness Programs and Professions Chapter 8

2. Discussion Questions Why is it that the fitness boom has been primarily a young adult, upper-income phenomenon?

3. Discussion Questions What can be done to promote regular fitness habits among children?

4. Discussion Questions How fit are you? What either motivates you to maintain or prevents you from maintaining an adequate level of fitness?

5. Discussion Questions What were fitness programs like when you were in elementary and high school? Were they effective? Why , or why not?

6. Discussion Questions What can communities do to promote fitness? Who should pay for community-based programs?

7. Discussion Questions Why is it in the interest of corporations and businesses to promote fitness among their employees?

8. Discussion Questions Will specializing in fitness become more of a profession with increasing certification and preparation? Would such a trend be good? Explain why.

9. Discussion Questions 9. How will the focus on moderate levels of physical activity affect fitness programs?

10. Introduction • The essential role of Physical Activity (PA) in maintaining health and quality of life for all. • Motor performance fitness is essential for success in sport, and quality of life for older adults.

11. Introduction (Cont’d.) • Government has recognized importance of health and PA: • Healthy People 2000 (1991). • Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health (1996). • Healthy People 2010 (2000). • National Health Objectives were set and are tracked for progress. (See Table 8.1)

12. Introduction (Cont’d.) • Overarching goals relative to the health of the nation: • Improves health of all people. • Eliminate the health disparities between different groups.

13. Fitness Levels Among Children and Youth • Fitness of U.S. youth has been questioned since the 1950’s. • Comparisons across decades are difficult and inappropriate: • Changing definitions of “fitness.” • Changes in the types of tests used.

14. Fitness Levels Among Children and Youth (Cont’d.) • Shift in focus: • FROM: Improving fitness (outcome). . . • TO: Increasing PA (process). • Today’s youth is underperforming on: • Body composition (i.e., increasing levels of overweight/obesity). • Cardio-vascular capacity.

15. Fitness Levels Among Children and Youth (Cont’d.) • Continuing debate: • Are kids today fit or not? . . . . • Hinges on one’s definition of fitness . . . • A “performance” vs. “health” definition. • & • Type of scores used to estimate fitness • levels . . . • Norm-referenced vs. criterion-referenced.

16. Fitness Levels Among Children and Youth (Cont’d.) • One’s health and fitness . . . a personal responsibility? (see Box 8.1) What about the environment in which we live (that we have created for ourselves)??. . . The “built environment” What, how, where, and how much do we eat? How has PA been squeezed out of daily life?

17. Fitness Levels Among Children and Youth (Cont’d.) • Increasing PA at the population level . . . • Requires multi-level efforts: • Social Policy, Legislation, Community. • And yes, personal investments. • Examples of recent efforts: • Renewal of National School Lunch Act. • CDC’s Coordinated School Health Program.

18. PA Patterns Among Children and Youth • Sample key findings . . . • HR’s readings indicate most are meeting ACSM’s recommendations for adult PA levels! • Most do not get regular PE from a specialist! • Only half of 12-21 year-olds engage in vigorous PA regularly; 25% never do so . . . !

19. PA Patterns Among Children and Youth (Cont’d.) • Sample key findings . . . (cont’d.) • Boys are more active than girls. • 6-11 year-olds are the most active population group. • Steepest PA decline occurs between ages 12-17. • Only 21% of adolescents participate in school Physical Education 1 or more days a week.

20. PA Patterns Among Children and Youth (Cont’d.) • Sample key findings . . . (cont’d.) • Boys are more active than girls. • 6-11 year-olds are the most active population group. • Steepest PA decline occurs between ages 12-17. • Only 21% of adolescents participate in school Physical Education 1 or more days a week.

21. PA Patterns Among Children and Youth (Cont’d.) • Possible reasons for the PA decline during adolescence? • Reduced access (“exclusionary” Sport model). • Competing interests. • “It’s no longer fun.” • Alternative activity choices.

22. PA Patterns Among Children and Youth (Cont’d.) • What factors motivate adolescents? • Body shape, looks. • Managing stress. • Peer approval. • Desire for independence. From Sallis (1994) • Inactive teens become inactive adults . . .

23. Fitness & PA Levels Among Adults • Difficult to assess/estimate fitness & PA levels. • Can be viewed from various perspectives: • PA estimates range widely . . .See Figure 8.1

24. Fitness & PA Levels Among Adults (Cont’d.)

25. Fitness & PA Levels Among Adults (Cont’d.) • Initially, the fitness boom occurred among “yuppies” w. disposable incomes. • Recent focus has been on youth (Generation Y). • Availability of fitness programs & facilities. Growth of the commercial fitness industry: >> increased memberships >> size of companies (e.g. Curves.)

26. Fitness & PA Levels Among Adults (Cont’d.) • Expansion of programs/facilities in schools, Universities,& adult communities. • Patterns of CVD risk factors among adults. (see Box 8.2) • Inactive adults are twice as likely to die from CVD than are active adults . . . • Hence PA level is a more critical indicator of health than fitness test results.

27. Fitness & PA Levels Among Adults (Cont’d.)

28. Fitness & PA Levels Among Adults (Cont’d.) • Health at Every Size (www.welcoa.org) • Self-acceptance • Physical activity. • Relationship with food. • Activity patterns are changing . . . (see Box 8.3) • Fitness boom appears to have passed its peak.

29. Fitness & PA Levels Among Adults (Cont’d.)

30. Fitness & PA Patterns Among Older Adults • Older adults, the good news . . . . • Older adults live longer. • It is the fastest growing population group. • They are increasing their PA levels. • Resistance exercises are now more commonly part of their regimen.

31. Fitness & PA Patterns Among Older Adults (Cont’d.) • Older adults, the bad news: • Of the 65+ age group, most suffer at least one chronic disease (85%). • Many women over age 70 have mobility problems (35-50%). • Of the 50+ age group who break a hip almost 25% die within the year. • They incur the highest amount of health-care cost . . .

32. Fitness & PA Patterns Among Older Adults • Norms have changed significantly regarding fitness and PA for older adults (especially for women). • Research and policy development on Fitness and PA targeting older adults will is a new area of interest.

33. Fitness & PA Programs for Children and Youth • Importance of school Physical Education programs is recognized by both parents and the federal Government. • CDC published guidelines for promoting PA through schools and in communities w. school Physical Education programs being defined more broadly (see Box 8.4).

34. Fitness & PA Programs for Children and Youth (cont’d.) • CDC’s guidelines targets both schools, delivery of Physical Education and Health Education programs, policies, personnel, environment/infrastructure, training of personnel, parental involvement, and evaluation as key elements (see Box 8.4).

35. Fitness & PA Programs for Children and Youth (cont’d.) • School Physical Education programs alone cannot meet all guidelines. • PA opportunities must be created for all youth throughout communities. • School Physical Education programs must look beyond its regular school schedule to provide impact.

36. Fitness & PA Programs for Children and Youth (cont’d.) • Examples of creative program expansions: • Use of school-wide daily PA breaks. • School Fitness Clubs. • Fitness remediation programs. • Daily Fitness programs (Siedentop & Siedentop, 1985).

37. Fitness & PA Programs for Children and Youth (cont’d.) • Examples of creative program expansions: (cont’d.) • Required Fitness Courses. • Elective Fitness Courses. • In-school Fitness centers (Samman, 1998). • Four year Fitness program (e.g., Westcott, 1992). • State-requirement approach (e.g., Florida).

38. Fitness & PA Programs for Children and Youth (cont’d.) • Creating environments that offer and promote PA opportunities for all youth requires the development of a PA infra- structure, that involves multiple groups and agencies . . . (See also Chapter 13)

39. Fitness & PA for People w. Disabilities • Historically, PA programs had a rehabilitative /medical focus. • Current efforts target people’s health. • Often, major barriers prevent access to PA. • Health benefits from PA are well within reach for people w. disabilities.

40. Fitness & PA for People w. Disabilities(Cont’d.) • Historically, PA programs had a rehabilitative /medical focus. • Current efforts target people’s health. • Often, major barriers prevent access to PA. • With accommodations in place, health benefits from PA are well within reach for people w. disabilities.

41. Fitness & PA for People w. Disabilities(Cont’d.) • Health risks of inactivity are just as critical for people w. disabilities. • With accommodations in place, important health benefits from PA are well within reach for people w. disabilities. • PL 94-142 has helped increase Sport & other PA participation levels.

42. AAHPERD Efforts to Promote Physical Activity and Fitness • Actively involved in promoting PA and fitness through development of assessment tools and programs, including: • Physical Best. • Fitnessgram. • Brockport Physical Fitness Test. • FitSmart Test. • You Stay Active.

43. AAHPERD Efforts to Promote Physical Activity and Fitness (Cont’d.) • New efforts also include advocacy targeting policy development and legislation. • Teamed w. ACSM and AHA to create the NCPPA.

44. Worksite Fitness and Wellness Programs • More commonplace over the past 25 years. • Can help reduce: • Health-care cost, employee turnover and absenteeism (e.g., Prudential Ins. Co. reduced $1.93 in health-care cost for every $1.00 spent on employee fitness programs). • Can also help improve: • Employee productivity and morale.

45. Worksite Fitness and Wellness Programs (Cont’d.) • Programs typically include a focus on: • Fitness (e.g., programs, facilities, testing) • Nutrition (e.g., programs, guidance, weight management.) • General Health (e.g., Healthy back programs, BP & Cholesterol screening).

46. Worksite Fitness and Wellness Programs (Cont’d.) • Companies that have their own fitness programs, tend to attract health employees who focus on their own health. • Despite programs being available, participation levels remain low. • Income, education, perceived vulnerability, self-efficacy appear to affect participation.

47. National Efforts to Promote Fitness and Physical Activity • Examples of Federal Government involvement since early 20th Century: • Improvement of fitness in military. • 1956: President’s Council on Youth Fitness formed. • 1978: USDHHS > Exercise recognized as important as determinant of health status.

48. National Efforts to Promote Fitness and Physical Activity(Cont’d.) • Examples of Federal Government involvement since early 20th Century: • 1990: 34 National Health Objectives developed specific for fitness and health. • 1996: Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity & Health. • 2000: “Promoting Better Health for Young People Through Physical Activity and Sport” published.

49. National Efforts to Promote Fitness and Physical Activity(Cont’d.) • Examples of Federal Government involvement since early 20th Century: • 2001: CDC publishes “Increasing Physical Activity: A Report on Recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services” • Outcomes of these various efforts remain unknown as yet.

50. Legislative Efforts to Improve Child and Youth Fitness • 2004: Federal School Lunch Act renewed . . . Targets nutrition, nutrition education and physical activity. • States have passed legislation that defines requirements for food services & time requirements for PA and Phys. Educ. • HR 3257 (Fit Kids Act): Proposed amendment to No Child Left Behind.