Investigated relationships between teachers' belief systems toward physical activity and fitness and what they taught. Researchers observed teachers with high and low physical activity and fitness beliefs, measuring instructional behaviors related to physical activity and fitness. No differences surfaced between groups in percent of class time…

In this study, we examine trends in the patterns of time use of seniors in Canada since the 1980s. In particular, we ask whether today's seniors devote more, or less, time to productive activities than 20 years ago. Our inquiry is motivated by the claims that today's seniors are not engaged in "active aging." This study uses data from a…

The authors examined the factorial validity and factorial invariance of the 3-day physical activity recall (3DPAR) using confirmatory factor analysis. Adolescent girls from two cohorts (N=955, N=1,797) completed the 3DPAR in the eighth grade; participants in Cohort 2 (N=1,658) completed the 3DPAR again 1 year later in the ninth grade. The 3DPAR…

Physical educators are used to setting specific goals for students within a given unit. Here, the author emphasizes that they should also encourage students to set their own goals. Goal setting engages students in the learning process and allows them to develop the skills that support an active lifestyle. The author presents goal setting…

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education's (NASPE) Physical Best program and the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research's (CIAR) FITNESSGRAM have established a partnership to create a comprehensive health-related fitness education and assessment package. The goal of the Physical Best program is to enable students to acquire the…

With the rising rate of overweight among children, it is more important than ever for students to spend an optimal amount of time participating in physical activity. As a means of measuring participation in physical activity, pedometers have become increasingly more common in the physical education classroom. This article shares tips for using…

Although scientists and policy makers have established the importance of physical activity for health and well being across the life span (e.g., Baranowski et al. 2000, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2000), youth are not meeting public health physical activity standards (USDHHS, 1997, 2000). And, while physical inactivity…

"Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General" ("Physical Activity and Health"; United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 1996) documented for the first time the cumulative body of evidence related to physical activity and health. This report completed the set of Surgeon General's reports…

This study assessed agreement between participants' rating (PMET) and compendium coding (CMET) of estimating physical activity intensity in a population of older minority women. As part of the Women on the Move study, 224 women completed a 7-day activity diary and wore an accelerometer for 7 days. All activities recorded were coded using PMET and…

Already in childhood, (a) high general and visceral fatness and poor cardiovascular (CV) fitness are linked with dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and insulin resistance; (b) higher fatness is associated with low amounts of vigorous physical activity (PA) and relatively "low" energy intake; (c) higher CV fitness is more clearly associated…

Objective To assess whether reduced health risks resulting from the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP) persist through 18 months. Methods: The CHIP is a four-week health education course designed to help individuals reduce cardiovascular risk by improving nutrition and physical activity behaviors. Analyses were based on 211 CHIP enrollees,…

Physical education is one of the most viable intervention programs to reach overweight and obese children. Since physical activity habits developed early in life are more likely to persist into adulthood, it is important for K-12 physical educators to teach the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will motivate students to become more active. Two…

This population-based 24-year follow-up study evaluated the association of occupational physical activity (OPA) with overweight and mortality in 47,405 men and women, healthy at baseline, and reporting OPA as sedentary (reference), light, moderately heavy, or heavy. The adjusted odds ratio for overweight was slightly less than 1 for all categories…

Using a multitheory approach, this study was designed to investigate the influence of urban adolescents' perceived autonomy and competence in physical education on their physical activity intentions and behaviors during leisure time. A transcontextual model was hypothesized and tested. Urban adolescents (N = 653, ages 11-15 years) completed…

A major goal for most quality physical education programs is to provide sufficient education and motivation for students to choose to live physically active lifestyles. This article clarifies what a "physically active lifestyle" really means both now to school-aged students, and in the future, as these students become adults.…