The Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD) a professional organization of over 550 members, is committed to addressing the need for improving the health of all school-aged children by increased access to physical activity through quality daily physical education.

Rationale: Physical education and increased physical activity are the foundation for changing/improving the current fitness (health) status of Maine youth. The Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance strives to support individuals and agencies in pursuit of this goal.

MAHPERD proposes that a quality daily physical education program allows students to acquire fitness, motor skills and personal social interactions needed to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Maine's learning standards consider Health and Physical Education to be "core elements of education that should apply to all students without regard to their specific career and academic plans (Maine Learning Results)." Physical and Health Education lead to the acquisition of essential skills that develop healthy minds and bodies, just as Mathematics, English Language Arts and other core areas.

MAHPERD strongly believes that students who can access and participate in quality daily physical education programming create lifelong health and fitness habits that counteract current sedentary lifestyle trends for youth and adults. Regular participation in physical education is directly linked to increased levels of physical activity in all stages of the lifespan. Developing positive physical activity experiences early in life will help to break down barriers to healthy living by instilling skills, behaviors and attitudes that prolong the potential for a healthy active future for all Maine youth.

Recommendation: Maine legislators, citizens, school officials and physical education teachers provide resources and support for quality daily physical education programs in all Maine schools:

All elementary students must participate in a minimum of 150 minutes of quality physical education each week. (AAHPERD, 2001)

All middle/junior high and secondary high school students must participate in a minimum of 225 minutes of quality physical education each week through middle and secondary school. (AAHPERD, 2001)

Children who have special needs require more opportunity to develop skills necessary to access physical activity. Universal access to inclusive quality programs are essential to meet their needs.

All students, regardless of their gender, race/ethnicity, health status, physical and cognitive ability should have access to extracurricular physical activity programs, community sports, recreation facilities and programs that meet their needs and interests. (USDHHS, 1997)

Position:

The disciplines of health, physical education, recreation and dance are essential to the total education program. These disciplines, through their teachings, contribute to positive attitudes and behaviors that lead to the formation of a "physical activity habit", which lead to lifelong health and an enriched quality of life.

While MAHPERD advocates for physical activity opportunities for every child/student, the optimum choice is to invest in quality physical education programs that will improve the everyday life of all Maine children and will be an investment in the health of future generations

Providing increased access to quality daily physical education programs for all Maine children leads to increased physical activity which is the foundation for changing/improving the current fitness (health) status of Maine youth. Putting our best resources toward this cause is a proactive, healthy and cost efficient way to lower the rates of obesity related health issues facing the citizens of Maine and this nation.

Bibliography

References Cited in This Paper

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (2001) What constitutes a quality physical education program? National Association of Sport and Physical Education. Retrieved July 21, 2003 from

http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/template.cmf?template+qualtiyPePrograms.html.

The Maine Department of Education (1997) State of Maine Learning Results, The Maine Department of Education, 23 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1997). Guidelines for school and community programs to promote lifelong physical activity among young people, Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, March 7, 1997, pp.1-36

Suggested Readings:

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, National

Association for Sport and Physical Education, Council on Physical Education for Children (2001). Physical education is critical to a complete education, a position paper July 2001.

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, National for Sport and Physical Education, Council on Physical Education for Children. (2001). Recess in elementary schools, a position paper. July 2001

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2001). Shape of the nation, executive summary, 2001.

Caterino, M., & Polak, E (1999) Effects of two types of activity on the performance of second, third, and fourth grade students on tests of concentration. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 89, 245-248. Article presents research on the effects of physical activity on the concentration level of 177 students in grades 2-4. Results concluded that 4th graders participating in a physical activity task before the test of concentration had significantly higher test scores.

Child Trends Data Bank, Retrieved July 29, 2003 from

http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/health/behaviors/16PhysicalActivity.htm

Corbin, C.B., & Pangrazi, R.P. (2003). Guidelines for appropriate physical activity for. elementary school children. 2003 update. Manuscript submitted for publication

Corbin, C.B., & Pangrazi, R.P., & Franks, D. (2002) Making sense of multiple physical activity recommendations, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest, Dec. 2002, Series 3, No. 19.

Maine Department of Education (1997). State of Maine Learning Results, July 1997.

Malina, R. M. (2001). Tracking of physical activity across the lifespan, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest. Sept. 2001, Series 3. No. 14

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2003). Study suggests schools lacking in exercise programs for children. Retrieved July 8, 2003, from http://www.nichd.nih.gov/new/releases/exercise.cfm.

Trudeau, F., Laurencelle, L., Tremblay, J., Rajic, M., & Shepard, R.J., (1999). Daily primary school physical education: effects on physical activity during adult life. Medicine and Science in Sport & Exercise., vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 111-117.