Women not getting enough exercise; at risk of developing metabolic syndrome
Science Daily    Share   
A national study shows that women are less likely than men to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, resulting in greater odds of developing metabolic syndrome — a risky and increasingly prevalent condition related to obesity. More

Revolutionizing Middle School PE! SPARK is proud to announce their NEW Middle School Physical Education (MS PE) Program is now available! SPARK MS PE is the only program available today that can cite its development from the three largest and most significant N.I.H. studies ever on this student/teacher population. Click here for more information.

Exercise benefits breast cancer patients
WebMD    Share   
Exercising may not be at the top of the "to do" list for most women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but it probably should be, according to a new study. The new research from the University of Miami finds that regular exercise can reduce depression, lessen fatigue, and improve general quality of life during treatment when combined with group-based behavioral therapy to reduce stress. More

American Association for Health Education

More healthy options are on school cafeteria menus
Houston Chronicle    Share   
With school lunches shaping up across the country due to new federal guidelines, Humble Independent School District in California is staying ahead of the curve — offering menus with plenty of healthy options. Robin Young, Humble ISD child nutrition director, said the district has been working to create more nutritious options for years. At Humble ISD, almost all of the bread products are whole grain — from pizza crusts to biscuits. The crumbs used as breading for the chicken nuggets are also whole grain. More

	FDA clears Child Body-Fat Scales Tanita introduces FDA cleared body fat scales for children. Weight and BMI can be misleading. Use Tanita scales to help your students achieve their fitness goals. MORE

Communication is key to better health care
The Des Moines Register    Share   
Patients and health care providers can learn ways to better communicate with each other as part of the state's first health literacy conference. Health Literacy Iowa and New Readers of Iowa are sponsoring the event at Iowa Methodist Medical Center's education and research center in Des Moines. Health literacy affects everyone, said Dr. Mary Ann Abrams, medical adviser for Health Literacy Iowa. More

American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation

Sports expand for people with disabilities
Chicago Tribune    Share   
The bike was specially designed to help 13-year-old Josh Silvern overcome disabilities that affect his balance. But his mom hopes cycling — and other adaptive sports — will help bring another kind of balance to his life too. Silvern received the bike in December from the Variety Club, a charitable children's organization, during the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls' Day for Kids. Its highly stable wheels and accommodating seat hold the promise of a degree of independence and mobility that have eluded him for most of his life. More



Students chase cheap thrills in great outdoors
The Spokesman Review    Share   
College students going wild at spring break party destinations has been the subject of police reports, headlines and even movies. But let's not forget that many students release the pressure of midterms by scaling mountains, running rivers, biking trails, muscle-powering into snowy retreats and other outdoor pursuits. More

National Association for Girls and Women in Sport

Title IX legislation has impacted high school athletics
The Norman Transcript    Share   
Norman, Okla., Mayor Cindy Rosenthal didn't grow up in Oklahoma. She attended Ohio's Perrysburg High where she was a member of the girls basketball team. But to call it a varsity by today's standards would be inaccurate. According to Rosenthal, it was more of an intramural squad. "We didn't have any uniforms," Rosenthal said. "It was in an era when it wasn't full court. When I started playing in junior high, it was half-court. Couldn't cross mid-court and played three on three. The thinking was girls couldn't run full court." More

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Overuse injuries common among female college athletes
HealthDay via Philly.com    Share   
Overuse injuries account for more than one-fourth of all injuries suffered by U.S. collegiate athletes, a new study has found. Women — especially those who played field hockey, soccer, softball and volleyball — accounted for 62 percent of the overuse injuries. For this study, researchers analyzed three years of data from male and female collegiate athletes participating in 16 team sports at the University of Iowa. During the study period, 319 male athletes sustained 705 injuries and 254 female athletes suffered 612 injuries. Overall, 288 athletes reported more than one injury. Of all the injuries suffered by the athletes, 29 percent were overuse injuries and 71 percent were acute injuries. More

National Association for Sport and Physical Education

May 1-7 is National Physical Education and Sport Week
AAHPERD    Share   
Let's Move in School is once again the theme for the 2012 National Physical Education and Sport Week (NPESW), May 1-7. Each year NASPE develops activities for teachers and their students to do during NPESW. NASPE leaders and staff encourage all K-12 physical education teachers to take advantage of these wonderful resources to showcase the quality sport and physical education programs in your school and community. More

ACL injuries up 400 percent in young athletes
KXAS-TV    Share   
Whether your child plays football, soccer, volleyball or track, their passion for the game could be setting the stage for a serious injury. Doctors in Philadelphia noticed a 400 percent increase in anterior cruciate ligament injuries in teens and adolescents over the last 10 years. The ACL is the most important of the four ligaments that connect the bones of the knee joint in order to provide stabilization during normal and athletic activities. A tear to the ACL could end a young athlete's career before it begins. More

New survey reveals kids crave more fun in youth sports
The Oklahoman    Share   
Youth sports leagues, coaches and parents need to have a serious time out to think about how they can bring fun back to youth athletic programs. In a new national survey of children, ages 8-14, who play team sports: 84 percent said they sometimes wish they had more fun when playing youth sports. The 84 percent said that at one time, they quit a team or wanted to quit. Why? 47 percent said because "it wasn't any fun." 29 percent said some teammates were mean. 23 percent said there were too many practices that interfered with other activities. 31 percent wished adults weren't watching their games — they say mostly because adults yell too much, are too distracting, make players nervous and put pressure on them to play better and win. More