Lifelong Physical Activity
Designed by Kevin Roach
Introduction:
"We've made great strides in the last decade, but America still falls seriously behind other nations in Fitness."
Arnold Schwarzenegger
This quest challenges you to investigate the benefits and need for physical activity in our lives. The fast paced life many Americans live has created a decline in healthy eating habits and an absence of physical activity. This has been a very researched topic as the status of our nation’s health continues to decline. When will our county realize the benefits of physical activity to our health and the amount of money that would be saved from the cost of preventable medical conditions?
"It's easier to maintain good health than it is to regain it once it's lost."
Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper - the "Father of Aerobics"
Task:
There are five different tasks each team will complete:
1. Research the importance of physical activity including the health benefits of regular exercise and participation in physical activity and health risks of not participating in physical activity.
2. Describe how Healthy People 2010 is designed to improve an individual’s health and the overall health of the nation through physical activity.
3. Design an informative brochure that lists and describes the components of physical fitness.
4. Develop a poster describing the steps a person must take in order to change their behavior and relate it to increasing physical activity.
5. Prepare a list of five physical activities that enhance an individual’s health and state the specific benefits of each on a poster advertisement (e.g. physical, social, psychological).
Process:
The class will be divided into five teams with four members in each team. Each team will complete the previously listed tasks by researching and obtaining information, formulating opinions, and drawing conclusions concerning the importance of physical activity. After reviewing the tasks, discuss how you want to share responsibilities for completing your team tasks.
Resources:
Importance of Physical Activity
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/importance/index.htm
Healthy People 2001
Components of Physical Fitness
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/components/index.htm
Changing Behavior
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/starting/index.htm
Physical Activities
http://www.infogym.com/webeng/txtactivitesphysiques2.htm
Evaluation:
Use the following questions to evaluate the quality of your work:
·
Was the information that you used current and relevant to the task at hand regarding the importance and promotion of physical activity?·
Is your poster or advertisement appealing, catchy, and creative?·
Did your brochure and poster provide the necessary information to effectively get your point across?·
Did you utilize several physical activities that would appeal to a large variety of people and provide the benefits?·
Is your work persuasive and supported with factual evidence?
Conclusion:
The benefits of physical activity should be more evident after the completion of this project. The most important question is, "Have you learned enough to realize the importance of physical activity in your life?" After this process, I hope your answer is "yes." Physical activity reduces stress levels and provides a person with a longer, healthier life. Physical activity also allows you to continually set new goals and push yourself to reach them. The feeling of achieving your goals when you were unsure of yourself greatly enhances self-esteem.
After acquiring the knowledge of the benefits of physical activity, you to take a serious look at your health and your activity levels. Take the necessary steps to improve your health to the desired level you want. Be an example to others and use your knowledge and inspiration to help encourage those around you to improve their health through participation in physical activity. The earlier a person makes a commitment to improving their health and staying with their program will improve their healthy years in life.
