RunFit Kids is a new running and fitness exercise program developed specifically for children in grades 3-8. The RunFit Kids mission is to get kids participating in a running program that
emphasizes a healthy lifestyle, good exercise habits and the enjoyment of being
active. RunFit Kids is a PTA/PTSA sponsored program and is presented jointly by Metro Run & Walk in Springfield, VA and RunFit Kids founder, Corky Sturtevant.
Consider these statistics: Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of
children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese. Since 1980, obesity
prevalence among children and adolescents has almost tripled.
Source: Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention; Overweight and Obesity
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/data.html
In the most simplistic view, overweight and obesity results from an
imbalance between the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy
expended. Participation in school
physical activity and before/after school programs help to develop a passion for
staying active and fit, which in turn lessen the risk of obesity.
It helps to
balance the equation:
amount of energy expended > amount of energy consumed
The importance of physical activity isn’t limited to being overweight or
obese, it’s also about improving academic performance.
“Not only can regular workouts in the gym or on the
playground improve attention span, memory, and learning, they can also reduce
stress and the effects of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and even
delay cognitive decline in old age. In short, staying in shape can make you
smarter. In a 2007 study published
in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, Hillman put 259 Illinois
third graders and fifth graders through standard physical education routines
such as push-ups and a timed run, and he measured their body mass. Then he
checked their physical results against their math and reading scores on the
Illinois Standards Achievement Test.
"There was a relationship to academic
performance," says Hillman. "The more physical tests they passed, the
better they scored on the achievement test." The effects appeared regardless
of gender and socioeconomic differences, so it seems that regardless of his or
her race or family income, the fitness of a child's body and mind are tightly
linked.“
Source: Edutopia: A Fit Body Means a Fit Mind, Vanessa Richardson http://www.edutopia.org/exercise-fitness-brain-benefits-learning
RunFit Kids is designed to teach
youths of all fitness levels about proper running mechanics,
nutrition/hydration, pacing and goal setting. The class will include dynamic warm-ups, strengthening and
speed drill, form, stretching, with plenty of games and nutrition discussion. Our commitment is for children at all
levels to run better, faster, and smarter.
The goal is for the students to
end the 8-week program with increased running knowledge and enhanced love for
being active!
Our
instructors are certified running coaches, personal trainers, group
fitness instructors, or pedorthists. All are highly qualified to instruct emerging runners.
