Why is SITTING the Default Position?

According to CDC data (2007), fewer than 4 percent of elementary schools, 8 percent of middle schools, and about 2 percent of high schools provide daily physical education or its equivalent. In addition, fewer than 1 in 5 children walk to school.
Currently in the United States, one in three children is either obese or at risk of becoming obese. In the last three decades, the rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled. The next generation of Americans may end up the first generation to be less healthy than their parents. The situation has attracted the eyes of our leaders and legislators. Perhaps their scrutiny will finally add some teeth to the school PE mandates states have been trying to impose - with little budget support.
Arkansas has already enacted a plan to stop the rise of obesity within its borders. In 2003, the state passed Act 1220, which led to the first and most comprehensive legislatively mandated childhood obesity prevention program in the United States.
And according to Dr. Thompson, the changes are having an impact."I am proud to say that we have halted the epidemic in Arkansas," he said. "It took the work of the schools, the community, parents, teachers and kids alike to commit to this system-wide change for the good of their own health and the future of our state and our country. We changed the environment through policies and programs that now support a healthier and more active lifestyle."

We applaud efforts of this type. In the effort to creatye a learning environment that helps youth (and their teachers) develop habits and lifestyle full of active pursuits, why is so much "learning time" done from a chair or desk?
If tools and strategies for using PC and the accompanying excellent games, educational curriculum software and such were driven by physical activity at school - such activity could continue at home.
Why is SITTING the default "learning" position? There are numerous options that can add the sort of physical activity mandated for youth (150-225 minutes per week) that can be accomplished simultaneously with supporting NCLB, meeting needs of challenged learners, math and reading academic success and positive behavior support.

Please take the time to explore:

• Learning Readiness PE (Paul Zientarski and Phil Lawler, Naperville IL)
• FootGaming (Can communicate with hundreds of "educational games"
• Generation FIT

Get Out of the Chair = Solutions for Physcial Activity Mandates

In a 2007 article published in "Pediatrics," seven researchers including James Levine of the Mayo Clinic explored, "Energy Expenditure of Sedentary Screen Time Compared With Active Screen Time"

Their objective was to examine the effect of activity-enhancing screen devices on children's energy expenditure compared with performing the same activities while seated. Their hypothesis was that energy expenditure would be significantly greater when children played activity-promoting video games, compared with sedentary video games.

We are keenly interested in that activity-promoting outcome, since ExerLearning ties cognitive benefits and brain productivity with the oxygen-delivering aspect of physical activity.

Energy expenditure was measured for 25 children aged 8 to 12 years, 15 of whom were lean, while they were watching television seated, playing a traditional video game seated, watching television while walking on a treadmill at 1.5 miles per hour, and playing activity-promoting video games.
The results could be expected and we are pleased with the outcome: Watching television and playing video games while seated increased energy expenditure by 20 ± 13% and 22 ± 12% above resting values, respectively. When subjects were walking on the treadmill and watching television, energy expenditure increased by 138 ± 40% over resting values. For the activity-promoting video games, energy expenditure increased by 108 ± 40% with the EyeToy (Sony Computer Entertainment) and by 172 ± 68% with Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2 (Konami Digital Entertainment).
If you are a parent or educator, the results are important to you and your student. Energy expenditure more than doubles when sedentary screen time is converted to active screen time. When energy expenditure doubles while a person is re-designing the way they perform a formerly sedentary pursuit a new, active habit can be developed. Fot schools - this could be an easy to implement strategy. Generation FIT and FootGaming are two solutions we can customize for you. We welcome your questions and comments.

Empowering Challenged Learners

There are many amazing stories on the PopCap.com website about how casual games positively impact the health and behavior of people of all ages. One post by mom, Beth Schramek, shares the somewhat miraculous effects PopCap's games have had on her eight-year old son, Gunnar, who suffers from autism. “Chuzzle, Bejeweled, Feeding Frenzy, and Dynomite are among Gunnar’s favorites, with Insaniquarium holding down the top spot for what seems like the hundredth week,” Beth laughs.

Teachers and parents are seeking effective ways to enrich and improve the lives of children who have challenges in learning. At ExerLearning we recognize not only the value of rhythmic physical activity - but great games as well.

Beth first heard about Insaniquarium a year or so ago. “Our son wanted to get a pet fish, but I was concerned about it possibly dying and Gunnar blaming himself,” Beth explains. “My mother-in-law told me about Insaniquarium and suggested the virtual fish in the game might be a good substitute for the real thing.”


Beth has seen marked improvement in her son’s ongoing struggle with autism, and in part credits the games. “Bejeweled, Chuzzle, Feeding Frenzy and the other games have given Gunnar positive reinforcement and helped him learn to focus,” she notes. “They also teach him in subtle ways – things like spatial relations, planning ahead, general problem-solving and so forth. Not to mention the music! Gunnar just loves the music in some of the games – especially Bejeweled. It really seems to have a have a soothing effect and has gotten him more interested in music in general.”

Both mother and son have also discovered another commonly cited side-benefit of PopCap’s games: stress relief. “Gunnar and I both use the games to relax; we call it ‘relaxing our brain’,” Beth smiles. “I play every day at lunch and he plays for awhile each day after school.”

We've played those games and agree wholeheartedly with their benefits beyond great gameplay fun. For more on how PopCap games can include physical activity, check out our post at FootGaming.

Turning the Computer Lab Into an ExerLearning Lab

For a relatively small investment in a new tech tool, we can add ExerLearning to any PC. Take a look at this video to get the full picture. Once you have questions or comments, let us hear from you! While the video shows FootGaming and the use of casual games, we can provide a menu of educational software that works seamlessly with the FootPOWR pad - a new type of mouse.

Classroom - NCLB, Sitting in the desk.. Academic Success?

Regular Exercise Shown to Improve Thinking
When educators, students and concerned parents prepare for the return to school next month, we wonder how many "preparations for improvements in standardized test scores and achievement" will be the focus of activity. How many educators will be provided tools to carry out PE and physical activity mandates? How often will solid research that links regular, daily physical activity (yes, even in 10 minute bursts) to greater academic success for our 30% most challenged students?
Our experience has demonstrated that exercise is not included as an "academic success tool" often enough. We are offering educators a proven tool - ExerLearning and Generation FIT. By simply asking us for the research paper, no cost, we will give you all you need to understand that human brains are most productive and able to learn when movement is included (Ratey, 2008, Medina 2008)
For review: A study presented during The Obesity Society’s Annual Scientific suggests that regular aerobic exercise can improve children’s decision-making functions and may be a critical aspect of enhancing children’s cognitive development.
The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, involved approximately 200 sedentary, overweight children ages 7 to 11. Lead investigator Catherine Davis, a clinical health psychologist at the Medical College of Georgia, and her colleagues worked with a control group and two active groups of children for three months during the study.
One active group exercised for 20 minutes after school, while the other raised their heart rates for 40 minutes after school. The control group did no after-school exercise.
The research found that when compared to children in the control group, those in the 40-minute activity group showed significant improvement on tests of executive function, which include skills such as decision-making, planning and organizing, focusing on schoolwork and using skills to achieve goals.
When tested, children in the 40-minute activity group showed increases of approximately four points on a cognitive-performance scale, while their counterparts in the 20-minute activity group showed gains of about half that.
Brain scans performed on the children who were exercising revealed increased activity in regions of the brain responsible for executive function, and researchers pointed out that similar animal research has shown that regular exercise leads to blood vessel and neuron growth in the brain.
The results of the study call for further analysis of the subject, but add to the evidence suggesting that the benefits of physical activity are far reaching and include increases in cognitive development.

Who's Judy Shasek?

Judy Shasek's presentations and trainings are thought-provoking, creative, and motivating. She has an uncanny ability to tap into the needs and energy of her audiences, which include the student target audience as often as their teachers. Click here for more details. She makes people think, question, and also important, laugh. Her background as a classroom teacher, grant writer, technology coordinator, and years of program development (Generation FIT, ExerLearning, FootGaming, DigiForce G) has honed her training into customized solutions for a wide range of learning objectives.For Judy, it's not the technology itself that it is important; it's the way we use it. Her method of empowering tomorrow's fitness, technology and learning leaders today, the concept of empowering our most challenged students to lead and manage ExerLearning (R) interventions is as effective as it is time-saving for busy teachers. Beginning with Generation FIT, Shasek has developed FootGaming programs that bring greater productivity, enhanced wellness programs and more motivated employees to the workplace. All ages throughout the greater community can discover solutions and insights via Shasek's array of offerings. Her company, invenTEAM, invites you to learn and invent while having fun every step of the way.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here is a list of Judy’s workshops and keynotes. She can tailor materials and themes to suit your needs and audience.FootGaming Toward Workplace WellnessGeneration FIT: Student Lead Fitness and LearningPE Mandates and More: Technology, Reading, Math and NCLB Funded Physical Activity SolutionsStudent as Contributor: Effective Resources for Busy TeachersLeadership: Managing the ExerLearning Transition