EXER 100

Avery Lansing
Studying effects of

HOW WELL DOES BEFORESCHOOL EXERCISE BUILD

OUR KIDS SUCCESS?

Before-School
Physical
Activity
Programs
on childhood fitness

ACEFitness.org
American Council on Exercise
Study published in Journal of
Exercise, Sports & Orthopedics

ACE Study Examines Effects of BOKS

Before-School Physical Activity
Program

ADDRESSING:
THE CHILDHOOD OBESITY EPIDEMIC

THE GROWING PROBLEM

1 in 3 elementary
school students is
overweight or
obese.
Obesity increased
threefold among
children 6-11 years
between 1980 &
2010.

By now, weve all seen the sobering

statistics illustrating just how out-of-shape
and unhealthy Americas youth have
become. About one in three elementary
school students is overweight or obese
(Ogden et al., 2014), the prevalence of
obesity increased almost threefold among
children 6 to 11 years old between 1980
and 2010 (Ogden et al., 2014) and, during
that same 30-year window, childrens
muscular fitness and fundamental motor
skills declined significantly (Cohen et al.,
2011; Runhaar et al., 2010). Worse yet,
these trends appear to be associated with
cardiometabolic biomarkers in unfit youth,
including elevated blood pressure and
insulin resistance (Gutin and Owens,
2011).

* Excerpt from the article

Many Potential Causes:

ADVERTISEMENTS
DRAMATIC

INCREASE IN
SCREEN TIME

REDUCTION

IN
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
PROGRAMS
ONLY 30-42% OF
CHILDREN AGES 6-11
GET ENOUGH EXERCISE

ACE: What can we do to help?

ACE enlisted fitness research director

Dr. Wayne Westcott & team of
researchers from Quincy College in
Massachusetts
Conducted 9 week study
Evaluated effects of school-based
physical activity program:

Build Our Kids Success

BOKS

BOKS
More than 1,200 schools worldwide
50-minute sessions of large-muscle
activity before school 3 days a week
Lesson plans involved a variety of
physical activities
Keep kids active in a fun & teamworkoriented environment

GOAL:
Determine if BOKS is a
safe and effective
program that can
serve as a model for
youth-fitness
initiatives.

EXPERIMENT:
Researchers chose 2
public schools to
evaluate.
* CONTROL Group did NOT
offer BOKS program *

EFFECTS OF BOKS
ON

Body weight
Percent body fat
Fat weight
Lean weight
Muscle Strength
Joint Flexibility
Aerobic
*Performance
Physical assessments

conducted at both
schools before and after
9 week period *

* RESULTS *
Significant improvements among
exercise group in 3 characteristics:

Percent fat
Fat weight
Aerobic Performance

EXERCISE GROUP:
Reduction in % body fat
Lost weight
Improvements in aerobic
performance

CONTROL GROUP:

Saw no change in % body fat

Gained weight
Decline in aerobic performance

BOTTOM LINE
Its a great success.
Dr. Westcott, Ph.D.

*****
Substantiates
importance of physical
activity programs in
schools

Keeps children excited

about physical activity
Programs like BOKS can
help combat global
obesity epidemic among
children!

References:
Cohen, D. et al. (2011). Ten-year secular changes in
muscular fitness in English children.
Acta Paediatrica, 100:e175-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.16512227.2011.02318.x.
Gutin, B. & Owens, S. (2011). The influence of
physical activity on cardiometabolic biomarkers
in youths: A review. Pediatric Exercise Science, 23, 2,
169185.
Ogden, C.L. et al. (2014). Prevalence of childhood
and adult obesity in the United States,
20112012. Journal of the American Medical
Association, 311, 8, 806814. DOI: 10.1001/
jama.2014.732.
Runhaar, J. et al. (2010). Motor fitness in Dutch
youth: Differences over a 26- year period
(19802006). Journal of Science and Medicine in
Sport, 13, 3, 323328. DOI: 10.1016/j.
jsams.2009.04.006.
Sisson, S.B. & Katzmarzyk, P.T. (2008). International
prevalence of physical activity in youth
and adults. Obesity Reviews, 9, 6, 606614. DOI:
10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00506.x.
Troiano, R.P. et al. (2008). Physical activity in the
United States measured by accelerometer.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40, 1, 181
188.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(1996). Physical Activity and Health: A Report of
the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Ga.: Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.