Keeping Our Kids Fit and Active

I'm a huge believer in the power of fresh air and exercise for the well being of our kids, emotionally physically and for the sake of sleep too, everything feels better with a clear head after a bit of fresh air and exercise and the health benefits of moving more have been proven over and over. but with over 1000 children in the UK being seen by medical professionals as a result of obesity and OFSTED reports showing  'great disappointment at PE provisions within some schools' I believe it is time to really understand the importance of outdoor activity. I'm pleased that we attend a school who believe the same,  we have a great fundraising programme and we have managed to purchase some fab out door activity equipment and are saving for more, but we are some of the lucky ones. Some schools don't yet have this type of provision available to their children.

Manufacturers of outdoor equipment for school ESP want to see more schools committing to helping combat the worrying obesity statistics in the UK by encouraging more activity in schools. 

ESP commissioned research into the impact of the installations of their Multi-skills Zone and the professional development training of staff in schools, the report showed ....

• 7.5% increase in observed physical activity levels.

• Physical activity levels continued to increase throughout the research period.

• Increase of 4.9 minutes of Moderate to Vigourous Physical Activity per day per child post intervention.

• Approximately 70% of those children recorded using accelerometers increased their activity levels.

• There was a surprising 7% decrease in physical activity levels in the control school (where no markings/training took place).

• Initially the playground had more impact on the activity levels of boys, but over time the girls increased their activity levels more (8.6% v 6.9%).

• 39% increase in the number of adults supporting physical activity during the observations.

• Most staff identified the benefits of the playground markings and playground equipment.

All schools in the UK can access funding by way of the PE and Sport premium which can be used for equiptment and staff development to improve PE and sport within the school, so if your school is lacking in outdoor equipment or PE and Sport facilities, it may be worth showing them this report and asking if they have accessed the funding yet. We all have to work together to keep our kids fit and healthy.