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Healthy Schools
Implementing the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines in Your School Comprehensive School Health Physical Activity and the Junior High Teenager Calling All Teens – Are You ACTIVE Enough? Active, Paid Jobs for Youth and Children Active Team Building The Meaning of Physical Literacy Activity Breaks Get Active – For Life! Summary of 2010 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth Benefits of Outdoor Play Screen Busters! Activating Families! Increasing Classroom Physical Activity Assessing Healthy Schools Schools and Mental Health It’s up to You: The Role of Parents in School Communities Maximizing Indoor Play Spaces Stress Busters for Kids Managing Exam Time Physical Activity: Bridging the Gender Gap Not Your Ordinary Field Day! Feeling Connected at School Modelling Healthy Behaviour at Home and School School Fundraising the Healthy Way! Healthy Eating Heads to School: Packing Nutritious Lunches and Snacks Physical Activity and Physical Education: What’s the Difference? Daily Physical Activity in Schools: What It Means for Your Child What is a Healthy School? Steps to Building a Healthier School Increasing Active Living in Schools Promoting Healthy Eating in Schools

Healthy Workplaces
Staying Healthy as You Move Into Retirement Vital Steps Towards a Healthy, Active Workday Work Day Wellness: Choose Healthy Options When Eating Out Active Commuting – Cycling to Work! Energize Your Workplace! Health-related Workplace Policies Yoga at Work Offering Information to Employees About Healthy, Active Living Encouraging Employees to be Physically Active at Local Events Using a Pedometer at Work Setting a Healthy Pace at Work Launching and Sustaining a Workplace Wellness Program Healthy Eating at Work Taking Active Breaks at Work The dangers of too much sitting Treating and avoiding hand and wrist pain The Afternoon Slump Physical Activity for Busy People If I Have an Active Job, Why Should I Be Active Outside Work? Conquering Back Pain with Physical Activity Does your workplace support physical activity? What Are You Sitting on? Using Exercise Balls at Work Shift Work: Getting Enough Sleep and Physical Activity Office Ergonomics: Key to Health and Safety in the Workplace Work-Life Balance: “Getting There” Help! My Workplace Is Driving Me Crazy! Putting Together a Wellness Plan What is Workplace Wellness? Workplace Wellness: Small vs. Big Business Options

Healthy Communities
Bringing Life and Fresh Activities to Community Spaces Ideas for Boosting Trail Usage in Your Community Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living at Community Events Positive Steps to Boost Your Mental Well-Being Fun Physical Activities for Families Eating Well Anytime, Anywhere Starting a Community Walking Group Gardening and Your Community Buying Healthy Foods in My Community Discover the Joy of Cycling Outdoor Playspaces Promote Healthy Kids and Communities Making the Connection: Physical Activities and the Environment ACE Communities: Igniting Change in Rural Alberta How Walkable Communities Are Created Promoting Accessible and Active Communities Understanding Health and Wellness from the Perspective of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada Connecting with the outdoors Community Leaders: Making Good Things Happen Welcoming Newcomers to Alberta Bringing the Community Together With Multicultural Activities Building Self-Esteem Through Sports Funding Community Recreation Projects Cultural Diversity: Including Everyone in Physical Activity Active Transportation Maximizing the Benefits of Recreation Community Gardens: Being Active With Your Neighbours What is an Active, Healthy Community? Getting Active Outdoors in Your Community How Can I Make My Community a Healthy Active Place?

Profiling Healthy Places
2010 Profiles

Did you know that only 13 per cent of children and youth are meeting the Canadian government’s recommended minimum 90 minutes of physical activity per day?

This news, as reported in the 2009 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, provides evidence that most Canadian children don’t get enough daily exercise.

Let’s get more physical! This article suggests some practical and energetic ways to include more physical activity into your classroom routines.

Good Reasons to Promote More Physical Activity
Researchers are constantly learning more about the benefits of physical activity—especially for children and youth. Physical activity is an essential part of a young person’s growth and development. Regular physical activity:

strengthens the bones, heart and muscles
improves academic performance
promotes positive social interactions among children, such as working together and problem solving
increases classroom engagement for all students

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Remember, integrating physical activity into classroom routines can activate, energize and motivate your students to learn. It can also increase concentration, add self-confidence and improve morale. Plus, it’s fun for everyone!

Activity Boosters
Here are some simple ways to boost activity in your classroom:

Get students moving around the room. For example, have a "gallery walk" that encourages students to view and comment on each other's work. Groups of students can display their work on the walls. Each group begins at the display next to their own and moving clockwise they discuss the display and make notes about their comments. On a signal, each group moves to the next display until a full circuit has been completed. Make the physical movements fun and varied by using a thematic approach. For example, using a set of jungle animals, ask each group to move like a different animal. Or, following an Olympic sport theme, have each group move in the manner of one sport, such as “skiing” or “skating” from one display to another.
Provide alternatives to sitting in desks. For example, consider having four or five standing workstations. Have students take turns working at these stations throughout the day.
Provide small pieces of exercise equipment that students can use at their desks while working. Stress balls and hand exercisers are a great way for kids to quietly and productively burn off some energy and/or reduce stress, for example, when writing exams.

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Exercise and Energize

Sometimes, the whole class just needs a break! Use this time to engage all your students in some energizing physical activity. Here are some “active” ideas:

Juggling, with balls or scarves! Keep the balls and scarves in a bin at the back of the room, or keep three juggling scarves (or plastic grocery bags) in each student’s desk. Short juggling breaks helps kids to energize their bodies, engage their minds and develop their juggling skills or hand-eye coordination.
Get physical with exercise bands. Resistance bands help to promote muscle strength and help kids to have fun while they exercise. Plus, they are easy-to-store and inexpensive.
Kids love yoga too! Yoga is relaxing and provides “down time” for the whole class. Students can enjoy simple yoga exercises while sitting or standing.
Desk dancing will get your students moving. Choose music with a strong four-count beat. Ask the first student in each row to begin a “desk dance” by moving in time to the beat. The other students in the row follow the leader. Then ask the second student in the row to make up a new move. Continue the process until the entire row has developed a short dance routine.

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Are we having fun yet? Fun is important, but so is learning. Keep in mind that adding more physical activity to your classroom routines can increase concentration and improve motivation, leading to better learning outcomes. Now that’s educational!

Learn More

Alberta Education – Daily Physical Activity Handbook
This handbook contains a multitude of ideas and activities for increasing daily physical activity.

Ever Active Schools
Tools to help activate your classroom, including activity calendars, workshop handouts, daily physical activity resources and much more.

Be Fit For Life Centres
Yoga Techniques for the Classroom and Resistance Band Activities for Elementary Schools are just two of the resources offered by the nine centres across the province.

Physical Education Online
An Alberta education resource that includes a juggling progression with balls, scarves and much more.

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