Battling Obesity with Quality Elementary Physical Education: From Exposure to Competence

Abstract

Sedentary behaviors contribute to the obesity epidemic in this country and physical educators can play an important role in the battle to improve the quality of life of our citizens. Motor skill competency is a substantive factor in a person's decision to be active or not, and a quality physical education program can tip the balance in favor of choosing to move rather than sit. Recent findings suggest that skilled movers are more likely to be physically active and achieve positive health-related outcomes, such as higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and a healthy body composition. Physical educators can achieve these outcomes by teaching with the expectation that students will acquire fundamental motor skills at a proficient level. Achieving this outcome will require longer units of instruction in fewer content areas, choosing activities that are aligned with the National Standards, and planning assessments designed to measure student performance and to guide instructional decisions.