The text provides information on the current levels of youth physical activity and offers an overview of theories of behavior change that have been used in developing physical activity interventions in a variety of settings. Programs and interventions are discussed in terms of their strengths, weaknesses, and level of success. Also includes sample forms to assist the reader in evaluating and designing interventions in areas where proven programs are not yet available.

With modern conveniences and technology always beckoning, today's children are less active and more obese than ever--which leads to an ever-increasing need for more effective interventions to help them become more active. Physical Activity Interventions in Children and Adolescents addresses this problem by helping professionals in schools, health departments, recreation centers, state agencies, and not-for-profit organizations design, implement, and evaluate interventions to promote and increase physical activity among children and adolescents. Part of the Physical Activity Intervention Series, Physical Activity Interventions in Children and Adolescents provides information on current levels of youth physical activity and presents a basic understanding of the issues associated with it. The book offers a clear and reader-friendly overview of theories of behavior change that have been used in developing physical activity interventions in a variety of settings and methods for program evaluation. Specific recommendations for physical activity from various professional and health organizations are included as well. The book also provides descriptive epidemiology of youth physical activity that helps identify the changes in activity as children age; insights into the potential role of the family and the community in providing physical activity opportunities for youth; guidance for the development of collaborative relationships among agencies and organizations to promote physical activity in the community; and a review of available instruments for measuring physical activity in youth populations, including self-report instruments and step counters. Practical application of the information covered in Physical Activity Interventions in Children and Adolescents is demonstrated through real-world interventions that have been implemented in various settings. The programs were selected based on their demonstrated effectiveness, potential for success, or unique features. Strengths and weaknesses of each intervention are highlighted. In addition to the presentation of existing programs, guidelines for the development of new programs are presented. Sample worksheets serve as valuable tools in evaluating and designing interventions in areas where proven programs are not yet available. The text follows a three-part progression. Part I provides an orientation to activity in young people, describing how to change behavior and introducing the settings in which such behavior change programs might be developed. In part II, documented interventions are examined for programs in schools, community organizations, and home and health care settings. Part III explores intervention design, assisting those who want to design their own interventions for specific populations. Descriptions of program evaluation, including useful measurement instruments, are detailed as well. The result is a book that professionals can use for learning about physical activity and the role it plays in the lives of youth. It will guide readers in designing successful interventions that can change physical activity behavior for the children and adolescents with whom they work.

I made the important decision to manage a Special Issue, because I believe it to be extremely important to focus on children’s and adolescents’ physiological and psychological development. I aimed to collect research that investigates the role of physical activity and sport on physical and mental well-being, with a particular focus on practical implications, innovation, tools, and technique. This Special Issue, “Health Promotion in Children and Adolescents through Sport and Physical Activities” addresses pediatric exercise science as a key scientific discipline able to help future generations live longer and better. It is already clear that sedentariness and a low level of muscular strength and power significantly affects cognitive functions and daily relations, but it is interesting to understand the key determinants and how we can help practitioners better manage these concerns in their patients. Authors were invited to submit letters, original research papers, case studies, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews.

Applied Exercise Psychology emphasizes the application of evidence-based knowledge drawn from the fields of exercise psychology, health psychology, clinical and counseling psychology, and exercise physiology for physical activity behavior change. The book provides readers with: theoretical bases for understanding and promoting physical activity behavior; interventions to use for facilitating physical activity behavior change and the tools for measuring the effectiveness of these interventions; cross-cultural considerations for practitioners to ensure multicultural competency; considerations to guide best practices with special populations (e.g., persons with medical conditions and persons with mental health conditions); overall applied implications and future directions. The collection builds a bridge between up-to-date research findings, relevant field experiences, and applied implications. This is the first book to cover such breadth of topics in applied exercise psychology, with chapters bringing often overlooked issues to the attention of practitioners to promote not only evidence-based practice but also responsible ethics and referral.

Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.

Physical movement has a positive effect on physical fitness, morbidity, and mortality in individuals with diabetes. Although exercise has long been considered a cornerstone of diabetes management, many health care providers fail to prescribe it. In addition, many fitness professionals may be unaware of the complexities of including physical activity in the management of diabetes. Giving patients or clients a full exercise prescription that take other chronic conditions commonly accompanying diabetes into account may be too time-consuming for or beyond the expertise of many health care and fitness professionals. The purpose of this book is to cover the recommended types and quantities of physical activities that can and should be undertaken by all individuals with any type of diabetes, along with precautions related to medication use and diabetes-related health complications. Medications used to control diabetes should augment lifestyle improvements like increased daily physical activity rather than replace them. Up until now, professional books with exercise information and prescriptions were not timely or interactive enough to easily provide busy professionals with access to the latest recommendations for each unique patient. However, simply instructing patients to “exercise more” is frequently not motivating or informative enough to get them regularly or safely active. This book is changing all that with its up-to-date and easy-to-prescribe exercise and physical activity recommendations and relevant case studies. Read and learn to quickly prescribe effective and appropriate exercise to everyone.

Today's children and adolescents are experiencing higher rates of overweightness/obesity and poorer health outcomes than any other time in history. As overweight or obese children are at greater risk of the same conditions in adulthood and the ensuing health consequences which arise, literature highlighting how theoretical frameworks can be utilized to guide physical activity intervention programs is advised and needed. Provision of contemporary research with the aforementioned objectives in mind is the reasoning behind the current book. By providing analyses and interpretation of children and adolescents' physical activity behaviors through the lens of well-established psychological and/or health promotion theories, this book provides empirically-based conclusions and implementation strategies for scholars and practitioners who desire the promotion of physical activity participation and better health outcomes among these populations. Within this book, readers can expect to find chapters devoted to the analyses of physical activity behavior among children and adolescent in free-living and physical education settings with an emphasis of how the manipulation of physical activity determinants, such as physical activity self-efficacy, enjoyment, situational interest and social support, influence physical activity participation. Other aspects of the book include a synthesis of how variables such as parent's beliefs regarding physical activity, perceived exertion, as well as the youth's gender and age affect the related physical activity determinants and the subsequent implementations of physical activity interventions. It is hoped that through the current book's structured formatting and writing quality, scholars and practitioners can better formulate real-world physical activity intervention programs which provide the best opportunity for the youth population to be more physically active and healthy.