Physical Activity
Steve Ball, Ph.D.
Health Risks Associated with
Being Overweight
 Coronary
heart disease
 Hypertension
 Hypercholesterolemia
 Diabetes
Actual and Projected Trends in US Overweight and
Obesity – NHANES Data, 1976 to 2000
99
100
90
80
70
60
%
50
20
81
72
64
56
64
56
47
47
31
40
30
90
Overweight
Obesity
39
23
15
10
0
1976-80
1988-94
19992000
2010
2020
2030
2040
Trends in Childhood Overweight, 1966-2000
16
14
6-11 Yr olds
12-19 Yr olds
15.3
15.5
12
10
%
8
6
4.2
4.6
4
2
0
1966
2000
“Genetics is not the cause of the obesity and diabetes epidemic.
Obesity has tripled and diabetes has increased 5-9 fold since the
60’s. Genes don’t change that quickly”. Frank Booth, PhD, U of
Missouri, Microbiologist, Genetics and Exercise researcher
Percent of obese/overweight youth who
become obese adults by age category
Dietz WH. Health consequences of obesity in youth: childhood predictors of adult disease. Supp Pediatr.
1998;3 (101):518-525.
Must A and Strauss RS. Risk and consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity. Int J Obesity.
1999;23(Suppl 2):S2-S11.
Physical Activity
33% insufficient vigorous physical activity
 72% insufficient moderate physical activity
 51% not enrolled in physical education
class
 67% did not attend PE class daily
 8% did not participate in any vigorous or
moderate physical activity

CDC 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) for
Missouri.
Classroom Management Skills for PA

Entering the Activity Area
– Explain HOW and WHAT
– “When I say enter the room, I want you to
walk in and begin to walk around the area”
– In FREEZE position, describe the day’s
activities
– “Everyone freeze. When you all are in freeze
position I will tell you the games we will
play.”
Classroom Management Skills for PA

Deliver Instructions Efficiently:
– Make sure students are listening before giving
instructions
– Deliver instructions 1-2 points at a time (max
30 seconds in length)
– Be specific
– Alternate short instructional episodes with
periods of activity
– Tell students “WHEN before WHAT” (When I
say go, I’d like you to ……”
Classroom Management Skills for PA

Stop and Start a Class Consistently
– Pick a consistent signal and use both an audio an
visual (whistle while raising hand)
– Use a different one for stopping
– Practice the procedures with your class
– Praise students when they perform the behavior
properly
– Expect 100% compliance when students are asked
to stop
– Scan the class to see if students are stopped and
ready for more instructions
Classroom Management Skills for PA

Grouping
– Emphasize rapid selection of the nearest person not
their friend
– Get toe to toe or back to back with a partner
– Students without a partner go to the center
– To split in half, have one partner kneel and the other
stand
– Students form groups according to the number of
whistles blown
– Students sit down when they have the correct
number in their group
Classroom Management Skills for PA

Formations
– To form a circle or a single file line, have
students run/walk randomly
– On the signal “fall in” students fall in line
behind someone until a circle is formed
– Use cones or markers to outline your activity
area or circle size
Improving Class Behavior

Possible set of consequences for unacceptable
behavior might be:
– First misbehavior – student is warned quietly on a
personal basis to avoid embarrassment
– Second – student is told to go to a pre-designated
time-out spot. Student must stay there until ready to
re-enter the activity and demonstrate the desired
behavior
– Third misbehavior – student goes to time-out for the
remainder of the period.
» REMEMBER: Time out doesn’t work if students don’t
enjoy being in class.