Fitness is Fun!
August 2007

Greetings from the office of the President's Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program! You have received the August 2007 issue of Fitness is Fun, the official e-mail distribution of the President's Challenge. These monthly e-mails will keep you updated on our programs, activities of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) and other current information pertaining to health and fitness.

Fitness Question of the Month for August:

Are there any types of non-traditional fitness activities you or your family participate in that you feel is great exercise?

Please respond via E-mail to The President's Challenge at preschal@indiana.edu. We'll include the most insightful responses in the August issue of Fitness is Fun. Be sure to view the responses to august’s Fitness Question near the end of this newsletter.

Have you or someone else motivated a group of children or adults to lead a healthier life? Email us your story at Preschal@indiana.edu and it could be featured in next month’s newsletter!

PCPFS NEWS:

The PTA and PC announce their advocacy
The President’s Challenge is proud to announce our advocacy with The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The PTA has provided support, information and resources to families focused on the health and education of children. The website also includes fitness resources, including the President’s Challenge. The organization was founded in 1897 in Washington DC as the National Congress of Mothers by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst. The National PTA was created to meet a profound challenge: to better the lives of children. Today, the National PTA is composed of 54 state congresses and nearly 26,000 local units in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Department of Defense Schools in Europe and the Pacific. To learn more visit, http://www.pta.org/homepage.html

PCPFS Physical Activity & Fitness Research Digest
The PCPFS Fitness Research Digest is published quarterly by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The Research Digest began in 1971 by H. Harrison Clark, Ed.D., a research professor of physical education at the University of Oregon. In keeping with H. Harrison Clark’s original intent, the editorial team does its best to identify and produce Digests that are current to the fields of physical activity, fitness, physical education, and sports. To subscribe to the Digest please visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org/misc/news_research/research_digest.aspx.

Announcing the National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit: Creating a Culture of Wellness
We are pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will host the 2007 National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit: Creating a Culture of Wellness. This groundbreaking event will unite health professionals, business entrepreneurs, and government leaders at all levels who are dedicated to health promotion, chronic disease prevention, health preparedness, birth defects, disabilities, genomics, and wellness.

We encourage you to visit http://www.healthierus.gov/ for important updates as we shape this national meeting, and we look forward to your participation in this important initiative.

President's Challenge NEWS:

The 2007-2008 President’s Challenge Exhibit Schedule

North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance (NCAAHPERD)
Greensboro, NC
November 7-10, 2008
http://www.ncaahperd.org/

Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
(IAHPERD)
St. Charles, IL
November 15-16, 2008
http://www.iahperd.org/

National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)
Indianapolis, IN
March 25-28, 2008
http://www.ncea.org

National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
Nashville, TN
April 4-8, 2008
http://www.naesp.org

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
(AAHPERD)
Ft. Worth, TX
April 8-12, 2008
http://www.aahperd.org

Annual events encourage veterans to stay healthy and active
The Recreation Therapy at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System Spinal Cord Injury and Rehabilitative Care Services coordinate various events for outpatient and inpatient veterans encouraging healthy, active living despite a physical disability throughout the year.

Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic 2007
September 14 &15th racers began at The University of Washington and completed the race in Portland, Oregon. Four veterans completed day 1 (80 miles) and seven crossed the finish line 200 miles later, all on hand cycles. Support vehicles with team leaders coordinating throughout and on the rode support from staff riding with the veterans, transporting equipment to setting up tents make this event such a success. The opportunity offers adventure, challenge, excitement, and camaraderie. With registrations cut off at 9,000, the 200 miles were filled with cycles and cyclists of many kinds, sizes and shapes all having one goal in mind - the finish line. It's truly amazing to see everyone give so much and the accomplishments achieved. (For more info: http://www.cascade.org/EandR/stp/STP_Details.cfm)

Adaptive Golf Clinics
Twice a year, our adaptive golf clinics provides veterans with physical disabilities the opportunity to receive adaptive golf instruction, learn adaptive golf techniques & develop skills using adaptive equipment from recreation therapists & golf professionals.

The adaptive golf program has touched many and has permanently changed the lives of many disabled veterans and their families. A wife of a veteran suffering from Multiple Sclerosis states, "I never thought he could do something like that! He may only be able to play three holes or never leave the driving range, but we are looking forward to this being something we can do together." Another Veteran who traveled from Alaska to participate responded with, "Thanks so much for the wonderful day at the clinic. This experience has rekindled my desire to golf again and will likely improve my overall health condition." Another veteran stated, "I never thought I would swing a golf club again since becoming a quad - never in my wildest dreams. I had tears in my eyes and so did my wife. And so did the people watching."

Since the start of the therapeutic golf program, the volunteer run & managed 9-hole golf course near the American Lake division has been in constant motion. The clinic sparked a huge interest in volunteers to reach out to the disabled veterans who weren't able to access the course due to a physical disability or the inaccessibility of the course. The course now provides adaptive golf carts that support individuals who use a wheelchair to access all areas of the course, regular golf carts for those who can stand but are unable to walk the course due to a physical disability, a fully accessible driving range with access via paved pathways, and an accessible restroom & picnic facilities. The volunteers also do a weekly program for active duty soldiers on med hold units, veterans who reside at state soldier's homes, and inpatient & outpatients from Blind Rehab programs to the Nursing Home Care units. Plus, they just completed a 3-hole practice course.

These opportunities are a true display of sportsmanship and positive human interaction for a common goal, not just by "Team VA", but by all participants.
Have you or someone else motivated a group of children or adults to lead a healthier life? Email us your story at Preschal@indiana.edu and it could be featured in next month’s newsletter!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Diversity in Physical Activity and Health: Measurement and Research Issues and Challenges

The Cooper Institute
Dallas, Texas
October 18 - 20, 2007

Diversity in Physical Activity and Health: Measurement and Research Issues and Challenges. Topics related to diversity, physical activity, and measurement / research methods are solicited and may include basic / applied research or policy / program development and evaluation. We encourage abstracts focusing on projects and initiatives that address physical activity issues in relation to diversity and measurement issues and challenges.

Conference website: http://www.cooperinst.org/events/scientific/program.cfm
Abstracts website: http://www.cooperinstitute.org/events/scientific/abstracts.cfm
All abstracts are to be submitted to Melba Morrow at the following email address: mmorrow@cooperinst.org

UPCOMING EVENTS

Diversity in Physical Activity and Health: Measurement and Research Issues and Challenges
Abstracts due: August 20th

The Cooper Institute
Dallas, Texas
October 18 - 20, 2007
Diversity in Physical Activity and Health: Measurement and Research Issues and Challenges. Topics related to diversity, physical activity, and measurement / research methods are solicited and may include basic / applied research or policy / program development and evaluation. The Cooper Institute encourages abstracts focusing on projects and initiatives that address physical activity issues in relation to diversity and measurement issues and challenges.

Conference website: http://www.cooperinst.org/events/scientific/program.cfm
Abstracts website: http://www.cooperinstitute.org/events/scientific/abstracts.cfm
All abstracts are to be submitted to Melba Morrow at the following email address: mmorrow@cooperinst.org

NEWS AND RESEARCH

Study finds kids are healthier when taught how to eat better
A Finnish study finds teaching children about healthy diets helps improve their blood cholesterol levels. The study included 540 children and their families who received dietary counseling about diets low in unhealthy saturated fats. Another group of 522 children did not receive dietary counseling. The researchers reported, by age 14, the children in the counseling groups had a small but statistically significant lower median cholesterol level.

The goal of the counseling was not to reduce the total number of fat calories consumed by the children but to shift from saturated to unsaturated fats in order to reduce cholesterol intake. The findings could help in efforts to promote healthier eating and other lifestyles changes in order to reduce heart attacks and strokes. The study’s lead author Dr. Harri Niinikoski explained even a small decrease in serum cholesterol concentrations in a large population can have a major influence on coronary heart disease. For more information visit the following website.

FITNESS QUESTION OF THE MONTH

When vacationing, what tips do you have to maintain your regular fitness regimen?

Fitness Question Reponses for the Month of July:

As an inline skater I try to take my skates along with me where ever I travel but I also try to book hotels that have a fitness center so I have a backup plan for exercising in case I am unable to find a place to skate.
-Glenn

Provided that you enjoy the water, vacation near a lake or beach - most of the water and beach activities are so much fun, you don't realize you're exercising! Some examples: At a lake: swimming, kayaking, tubing behind a boat, waterskiing. At an ocean and beach: Volleyball, surfing, body boarding, waterskiing, parasailing, and building sand castles.
If you're not a water person, woods are great, too - camping, building campfires, hiking, outdoor sports, and perhaps horseback riding!
-Anastasia

Our family chooses Condominium Resorts with Fitness/Workout Centers, which allows us to continue our daily workouts and also the swimming pools are a great daily addition to our fitness routines with the swimming and also a lot of family fun! We check in advance to see what Fitness facilities are in the Condo Resorts and the times of
availability, if they are air conditioned, and if it will meet our families' needs while vacationing.
-Julia

When vacation is a road trip you can never count on having a gym at your evening's lodging. I always take some free weights along. But for vacations where an airplane is involved I pack an assortment of exercise bands. They take up little space, yet are very useful when a gym is unavailable.
-Lee

We put in as many "foot miles" as we can by walking around national monuments, and other attractions. If this is a vacation where we go to shows and do the touristy thing, we walk to the shops and find paths to walk on the way coming and going. This makes us feel so much better as you travel, because of sitting in the vehicle too long. You need to get out and stretch your legs anyways.
-Barbara

1) Before you go on your trip, find a YMCA or fitness club and inquire about a day or week pass. Put going to the gym on your agenda for the trip.
2) Plan a walking or jogging tour of the place you are visiting with http://www.mapmyrun.com. You will not cover as much ground as you do in a car, but you will see a lot more and get a better flavor of the community.

REMINDERS:

Remember to fill out State Champion, Model School, and Demonstration Center applications to ensure that your students are rewarded for their hard work! The 2006-2007 State Champions winners will be announced on October 1. For more information, including application deadlines and guidelines, please visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org/educators/school_recognition.aspx.

SPECIAL THANKS

We would like to extend a special thanks to all of the President's Challenge Advocates. Please visit the Advocates area on the http://www.presidentschallenge.org/ web site to see how companies, organizations and groups are making a difference with the President's Challenge.

FEEDBACK

We would like to hear from you. If you have any topics that you would like to see addressed in Fitness is Fun or any comments regarding this list, please let us know. You can provide them by emailing us at preschal@indiana.edu.

To view past issues of Fitness is Fun visit our website: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/. Enter the site by choosing the appropriate category, then click on "news/research".

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Fitness is Fun! August 2007

Fitness is Fun!
August 2007