August 2010

Beyond the Hokey Pokey

Above: Second graders moving to a 15-minute Activity Works video in their classroom. Below: Ringing the Liberty Bell is one of the exercise moves school children are led through in an Activity Works video that takes kids on an adventure to major cities along the Eastern Seaboard.

Kids squirm, and that’s when they’re not playing, running, falling, or painting with food. But they’re not just keeping their parents and teachers busy. “Kids learn better while they’re getting exercise—it’s called kinetic learning,” says Nancy Copperman, director of public health initiatives at North Shore-LIJ Health System. “They retain more while they’re moving because they have increased cerebral blood flow. Kids are also better able to focus after being active.”

Unfortunately, City kids don’t get enough exercise—especially in poor communities with little open space and inadequate physical education programs in school. Lack of exercise and bad nutrition has led to an alarmingly high obesity rate in poor children. These kids are far more likely to suffer from serious health problems such as asthma and diabetes—and additional disease if they keep the weight on as adults.

Principals and teachers want to create healthier schools, but imminent cuts in school funding aren’t helping. In these circumstances, one solution is to bring the gym into the classroom. North Shore-LIJ has created a cheap and simple program to do this, called Activity Works.

Developed especially for elementary school social studies, science, and math classes, a set of 20 DVDs brings interactive adventures to first, second, and third graders, who are guided through fun 15-minute-long activities that reinforce what they’re learning. A $75,000 grant to North Shore-LIJ Health System Foundation will help it introduce the program into 10 City schools with high percentages of overweight kids.

Kids might fly like airplanes over the Great Pyramids of Giza, exercise with Olympic athletes (and learn what they eat), or hop along the Great Wall of China. “When we were developing this program, it was very important to teachers to have a tool that was simple to use, and something that enhanced the subjects they were exploring in class,” continues Copperman.

“Physical activity can build self-confidence, improve concentration, and lead to better behavior and more participation in class,” says Irfan Hasan, health program officer at The Trust. “This is a perfect way to engage a restless room full of 6-, 7-, and 8-year-olds who want to do anything but sit down.”