Lincoln University's recent decision to require students to undergo a physical examination before graduation has upset some students, the Lincolnian reports. If a student's body mass index surpasses 30, he or she must complete a physical education class in order to graduate.

Opponents of the requirement say the university is discriminating against obese people. More on new requirement...

Applications for Education
The Best of Us Challenge provides a fun opportunity to get kids excited about physical education challenges and compete with some of the best athletes in the world. The Best of Us Challenge also provides an opportunity for students who may not fit into the typical "athlete" mold to show-off their unique skills. Check out their website for contest rules and go for it.

Palm City Elementary PE teacher's program encourages kids to run for fitness and fun.

http://www.tcpalm.com/videos/detail/students-get-running-mileage-club

View the video of physical education teacher talking about motivating her students to run so that they will be successful at the mile run component in the state physical fitness test. The running club is not only motivating students to run more but also causing students to think about thei…

School-based physical education plays a key role in curbing obesity and improving fitness among adolescents from low-income communities, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and UC Berkeley. The study, which identifies opportunities for adolescents to improve their health based on routine daily activities, finds that regular participation in PE class is significantly associated with greater c…

A recently released report, "Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve," states that the military had one of its best recruiting years since the draft ended in 1973. This is especially surprising since about 75 percent of the country's 17- to 24-year-olds are ineligible for military service, largely because they are poorly educated, overweight and have physical ailments that make them unfit for the armed forces, according to the report i…

For some time, researchers have known that exercise changes the structure of the brain, resulting in improvements in concentration, fidgeting and creates new brain cells.

The body-mind link is well documented. But current thinking and actions (like eliminating recess and physical education) leads me to question if some decisions reflect the cliché that "our bodies exist to carry our heads around."Current thinking on the topic however, a…

Nick Veasey/Getty Images

For some time, researchers have known that exercise changes the structure of the brain and affects thinking.

Ten years ago scientists at the Salk Institute in California published the groundbreaking finding that exercise stimulates the creation of new brain cells. But fundamental questions remain, like whether exercise must be strenuous to be beneficial. Should it be aerobic? What about weight lifting? And are the cognit…

Did I get enough exercise today? How many calories did I burn? Am I getting good quality sleep? How many steps and miles did I walk today? If these questions seem interesting and you want answers check out a new product called Fitbit Tracker.

View calories, steps and distance on the Fitbit Tracker itself. You can login to the Fitbit website to see even more detailed data and also participate in collaborative fitness goals with friends, family and…

Article By David Kananowitz
Junior Monmouth Academy
Published: Mar 11, 2009

Remember back in grade school when you had recess time? However, what happened if you did not turn in your homework or were not behaving well in class for that day? Most likely, you were asked to stay in during recess to either get your homework done or serve your punishment, due to the bad behavior that led you there. However, recent studies have shown that letting studen…

A study from Ohio State University found that physical education injuries have increased by 150% over the last decade.

Watch the short video on the 6 sports that account for 70% of all PE related injuries.
Video Link.

PEP GRANT WINNERS LIST

As a result of $26.5 million in awards from the U.S. Department of Education, more children will have access to physical education programs and instruction on healthy eating and good nutrition. The Carol M. White Physical Education Program grants will provide 73 public schools and community-based organizations in 25 states with funds to initiate, expand and improve physical education programs for students in grades K-12.

Con…

Approximately 3,000 teachers will be trained to implement the compulsory physical education program in Uganda.

"We do not want a country that will not have healthy citizens. We want to have healthy citizens through games and sports. So we will start compulsory teaching of physical education, PE, in all our secondary and tertiary schools before the end of this year," according to the national commissioner for physical education and sp…

Physical fitness scores and academic achievement seem to go hand-in-hand in yet another study. Statewide testing in California and Texas indicated the important relationship between fit kids and higher test scores. Now New York City has been added to the rapidly growing list.

Physically fit students tend to outscore their peers who are less-fit on academic tests, according to a new report from New York City’s Health Department and Department of …

Boston’s public schools have failed to provide any formal instruction in physical education to about 25 percent of the city’s students, despite a state law that requires physical education be taught to all students in all grades.

Boston’s failure to provide physical education to all its students has prompted the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to order a “corrective action plan’’ from the city. The plan, approved last month…

Balance is the foundation upon which all physical skills are built. Children experience balance first by controlling and “balancing” their head. The balance mechanism comes into play in a baby who tries to sit up without falling over.
Standing balance and walking with balance is evident by a proficient stride. Then there is balancing on one foot and also the ability to balance an object with a body part. Good balance practice comes int…

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed trimming state money for physical education courses at community colleges as a result of the budget shortfall.

Under the governor's proposal, P.E. classes would be funded as noncredit courses, resulting in a 40 percent cut in state funding. The plan, unveiled in his revised budget this month, would cut millions of dollars from the budgets of some college districts and eliminate numerous part time teac…

"Researchers at the University of Exeter have found that kids' natural short bursts of play energy contribute just as much to a healthy lifestyle as longer bouts of organized exercise, such as gym class," according to sports columnist Dan Peterson.

Researchers, Michelle Stone and Roger Eston of Exeter's School of Sport and Health Sciences reported their findings in the April edition of the International Journal of Pediatric Obes…

In case you missed it, this week Time Magazine has an article entitled, "Gym Class: Why kids' exercise matters less than we think." The article cites the information from last weeks blog post entitled, "Physical Activity : Is it influenced by Physical Education?"

The study and Time article questioned the value of physical education as an obesity intervention based on the research finding that the total weekly physical a…

Children's lack of physical activity was one of the top 10 health concerns in 2008, according to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

Accordingly some parents are turning to Kids Fitness Clubs offered through fitness centers and YMCA's. Membership in the Kids Fitness Club costs in the neighborhood of $100 for every eight sessions. It remains to be seen if parents are turni…

The National Association of State School Boards released a policy guide on Preventing Childhood Obesity.

Schools have many powerful tools at their disposal to serve as one of the primary agents to address the obesity crisis. Schools access to children is unique as children spend a significant amount of their day in school. The ability to educate and reinforce healthy behaviors provides the opportunity for schools to effect the community at larg…