Physical Activity

About 50% of all students report that physical education class time should be increased in the middle school.

Fifty-four percent of students claim that their physical education class is very important to them.

Thirty-six percent of middle school students say that they think that kids who exercise do better in school.

About 42% of middle school students consider themselves more fit than their peers. Sixteen percent rate themselves as not as good.

The two biggest reasons kids participate in sport and exercise are fun and socialization.

Children exercise less as they get older, boys about 3% less each year; girls, 7.5%.

Grade school students are 24% more active than high schoolers.

The older girls get, the less likely they are to work out.

The average heart rates in a typical 30-minute physical education class range between 90 and 129 beats per minute.

In a typical physical education class, only 27% of actual physical education time is devoted to motor activity.

Thirty percent of youths (10-19 years) have negative or neutral attitudes towards physical activity.

At age 10, 45% of young people say they participate, or intend to participate, on a non-school team. Among 18-year-olds, the figure is 26%.

Nine out of ten parents think their children are fit, when only one out of three are.

The child of today is less fit and more fat than the child of the 60's.

The average child consumes at least 20 ounces of soda pop a day.

Obesity and superobesity are up 36% and 98%, respectively, in the past 20 years.

The average U.S. child spends 20% of his/her waking time watching TV.

The average U.S. child gets approximately 43 minutes of moderate physical activity a day.

The average child gets less than 15 minutes of vigorous activity a day.

Hope you have all been keeping warm the last few days. What do you do to warm up at your desk? a friend of mine does jumping jacks! :-)