Center For Collaborative Solutions

Physical Activity

Newly Revised AFHK Report

Action for Healthy Kids has released a special report The Learning Connection: What You Need to Know to Ensure Your Kids are Healthy and Ready to Learn. It demonstrates that physical activity supports academic achievement, well-nourished kids learn better and that healthier practices in schools can increase school revenue. Perhaps most importantly, The Learning Connection provides a roadmap for parents, educators, school administrators and school volunteers to create healthier school environments. Nothing could more be more important at a time when one-third of our kids are overweight or obese, which jeopardizes their health and their ability to learn.

Guide for Physical Activity: Active8

Active8 is an 8-step guide for youth providers engaging youth through creating opportunities for physical activity that are enjoyable, meets their needs and involve and encourages participation of all, including peers, staff, administrators, parents, and community members. The guide incorporates physical activities and positive physical activity culture through policy.Find it here.

A Healthy Food and Physical Activity Policy Resource Guide. Read More.

Physical Activities for the Elementary Classroom--Mind and Body. Read More.

The American Heart Association offers free physical activity resources to schools through its Play 60 NFL Challenge. These resources are easily adapted to afterschool programs. View the complete program materials here. The booklets are shown with branding from the different NFL teams but they all have the same content. The first booklet (top left) has generic NFL branding, depicting players from different teams. You can contact Julie Kaufman of the Heart Association if you have any questions.

The Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts has updated its database that tracks state action on childhood obesity. The database is interactive, and users can sort by a national map, region or legislative issue areas including school nutrition, physical activity, and task forces or committees. Visit the Database.

In February 2011 The White House released a new report on the importance of reconnecting children, youth and families with nature. The report highlights the health benefits of outdoor recreation and the barriers many Americans face to spending more time outdoors. Read the Initiative here, and the Report Release here.

Incorporating physical activity throughout your program will improve your students’ academic achievement and health, while helping to address obesity issues. Research shows positive links between physical activity and academic achievement, and between physical activity and health.

Get more physical activity in your after school or community program today. CANFIT has developed an easy way to breakdown the CDE physical activity guidelines into simple steps. Physical Activity Matrix.

Performance Related Nutrition Materials are available from the Network for a Healthy California on the CA Department of Public Health web site - Physical Activity Integration.

Youth Physical Activity Guidelines Toolkit is available from the Centers for Disease Control. It includes information on school and community physical activity. Read More.

The California After School Resource Center’s Physical Activity e-manual is a comprehensive resource for improving the physical activity in your program.

The California Center for Public Health Advocacy as part of the California Working Families Summit recently published a ten-year legislative history of Physical Activity in CA public schools. This is a very informative document. Read More.

CSBA and CA Project LEAN have issued several useful policy briefs on physical activity. Although several are targeted at school day, the lessons can also be applied in afterschool or in partnership with your school:
Maximizing Opportunities for Physical Activity through Joint Use of Facilities (February 2010)
Active Bodies, Active Minds: Physical Activity and Academic Achievement (February 2010)
Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in Physical Education to Improve Health and Academic Outcomes (November 2009)
Maximizing Opportunities for Physical Activity During the School Day (November 2009)
Safe Routes to School, Program and Policy Strategies (August 2009)

Make the Move 2010-11 National Implementation of the U.S. Physical Activity Plan

The 2010-11 plan features A World Fit For Kids! as the success example under Strategy 5, which addresses before and afterschool. Read More.