Hubble Middle School Health and Physical Education

The Surgeon General's Report (1996) and the Centers for Disease Control recommend 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily. The benefits of daily physical activity include:

• physical activity reduces the risk of dying prematurely from coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and colon cancer.
• physical activity also improves mental health, reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, and promotes overall well being.
• low levels of activity contribute to the high prevalence of obesity among children and adults in the United States.
• physical activity may favorably affect body fat distribution and is important for the health of muscles, bones, and joints.
• weight-bearing exercise is essential for normal skeletal development and for maintaining peak bone mass in young adults.
• moderate amounts of physical activity can help older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.

Youth warrant a particular focus because of their limited participation in physical activity. Nationally, about 14% of young people report no recent physical activity. Participation in all types of physical activity declines strikingly as age or grade in school increases. Nearly half of young people aged 12-21 are not vigorously active on a regular basis. Physical activity is so important for youth because it:

• helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.
• helps control weight, build lean muscle, and reduce fat.
• prevents or delays the development of high blood pressure.
• can help reduce blood pressure in adolescents with high blood pressure.

Physical Activity increases our lungs oxygen capacity. Our lungs provide oxygen to our brains. Our brains need oxygen to think and learn. Therefore, more physical activity = more oxygen to the brain. An optimal level of oxygen in the brain----------------> maximum opportunities to think and learn!