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Planning Activity: Explaining Health Benefits

³Ô¹ÏÍø School-Age Physical Development Lesson 1 Apply Planning Activity: Explaining Health Benefits
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ACTIVITY ID: 22291
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This lesson has given you an overview of the health benefits that physical activity provides. Part of your role as a school-age staff member will be to explain and teach these benefits to children. The following bullet points about the health benefits of physical activity are taken from the lesson you just explored. Review these benefits and think about how you’d share these concepts with school-age children. Record your planning ideas for healthy benefits in the chart below. How could you deliver this information to school-agers in a way that is meaningful and appropriate? You’ll use the left column to fill in a health benefit you want to teach, and the right column to record ideas on how you could share it. When you’ve completed this Planning Activity, share the information with your trainer, coach, or administrator.

Physical Health

There is a clear connection between leading an active lifestyle and being healthy. For optimal health, school-age children should be physically active for at least 60 minutes each day. Along with a healthy diet, these guidelines help children:

  • Improve cognition.
  • Maintain a healthy weight and body mass index.
  • Achieve physical developmental milestones.
  • Maintain or improve blood pressure.
  • Improve cardiovascular fitness.
  • Improve posture and balance.
  • Improve overall physical health.
  • Improve sleep.

Mental Health

Maintaining an active lifestyle will not only help achieve physical health and fitness but will also improve a child’s mental health. Sustaining an active lifestyle increases energy, helps children maintain a positive attitude, and helps them achieve other health benefits such as:

  • Improved self-esteem and confidence.
  • Reduced stress and anxiety.
  • Improved social skills (especially when participating in team sports).
  • Improved focus and brain function.
  • Reduced risk of depression.
Health Benefit Planning Idea
Maintain a healthy weight and BMI (body mass index).
 
  • Have a local medical professional discuss the importance of a healthy weight.
  • Have a military recruiter or representative talk about the physical demands and go through some of the fitness test requirements for basic training.
  • Instead of being negative about body weight, share what benefits that come with each pound lost.