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.

Schoolwide Physical Activity: A Comprehensive Guide to Designing and Conducting Programs offers K-12 teachers and administrators the tools to plan and administer programs that go beyond PE class. These activities are integrated in the classroom, on playgrounds, in before- and after-school programs, in intramural programs, and in community programs.

In elementary schools across the United States, teachers are often tasked with teaching health education or physical education, although they may not have specialist training. Health and Physical Education for Elementary Classroom Teachers: An Integrated Approach is the perfect resource for these educators. It covers both health and physical education while giving current and preservice teachers the skills to deliver appropriate lessons to their young students. Retta Evans and Sandra Sims, respected educators and physical education advocates, provide everything teachers need in order to seamlessly incorporate health education and physical education into an integrated curriculum. Based on national health education, physical education, and state-specific academic standards including the Common Core state standards, this is a guide that will help teachers empower elementary students to become healthy and active. The text is complemented with a full suite of ancillary products: • Sample syllabus and course outline • Chapter resources, including an overview, outline, review questions with answers, and learning activities • Chapter questions to help in creating quick assessments of student learning or in building custom tests • Approximately 150 slides to reinforce key points The text also features lab exercises that allow students to practice the material they are learning, including designing their own standards-based lesson plans that integrate health and physical education. By learning the essential knowledge and using the invaluable strategies in this book, every teacher will be equipped to create a healthy and active school environment that maximizes student achievement. Health and Physical Education for Elementary Classroom Teachers is organized into two parts, each dedicated to different components of incorporating health and physical education into the elementary classroom. Part I focuses on the foundational knowledge needed for teaching health and physical education. It addresses the health risk behaviors of today’s generation of students, a team approach to coordinated school health, how physical growth and brain development in children are related to health, and the many characteristics and benefits of a high-quality physical education program. Part II emphasizes the strategies necessary for incorporating health, physical education, and physical activity into the curriculum and school day. It discusses how teachers can become advocates of healthy and active schools, identify habits that promote everyday health in the classroom, and incorporate physical activity and the national standards into each school day. It also presents teaching methods, assessment tools, and evaluation strategies to ensure teaching success. Throughout this book, practicing and training teachers will find websites, tips for best practices, sample lesson plans, and tables with innovative strategies. The result is a great resource that teachers can use to fulfill what is both a tremendous responsibility and a unique opportunity—promoting health and wellness in the elementary classroom using an integrated approach.