As outlined in this article, conceptual physical education (CPE) uses a text and classroom sessions to teach healthy lifestyle concepts and principles as well as self-management skills that promote lifelong fitness and active living. CPE programs are meant to be an important part of quality physical education (PE) programs. A dozen reasons are…

Sedentary women (n=92) classified as low (L), medium (M), and high (H) in baseline step counts and assigned to 10,000-step goal (TSG) and personal step goal (PSG) groups (within levels) were compared on goal attainment and step counts. A significant interaction for goal attainment, F(2, 86)=4.51, p=.014, indicated that the L group was…

This digest provides basic information designed to help people determine which of the many physical activity guidelines are most appropriate for use in specific situations. After an introduction, the digest focuses on: "Factors to Consider in Selecting Appropriate Physical Activity Guidelines" (group credibility and purpose, benefits to…

Clarifies some recent recommendations about how much physical activity is enough, and answers common questions such as what the recommendations are and what they are based on, what is meant by moderate intensity physical activity, who is responsible for the recommendations, and when to use the different guidelines. (SM)

Substantial scientific evidence supports the role of physical activity in disease prevention and healthy lifestyle promotion, and quality physical education represents our best opportunity to provide all children with experiences that promote physical activity now and for a lifetime. The purpose of this article is to document the need for quality…

Discusses common misconceptions about physical activity among children (e.g., children are fragile, children are miniature adults, girls are not interested in physical activity, and all skills are motor skills), offering alternatives for change (e.g., recognizing children's unique physical activity needs, promoting opportunities for girls, and…

This paper defines a variety of fitness components, using a simple multidimensional hierarchical model that is consistent with recent definitions in the literature. It groups the definitions into two broad categories: product and process. Products refer to states of being such as physical fitness, health, and wellness. They are commonly referred…