(SAMPLE LETTER TO THE EDITOR – PLEASE SEND TO YOUR LOCAL DAILY AND WEEKLY NEWSPAPER)

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Letter to the Editor

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month (www.naspeinfo.org) and I would like to remind everyone that “Healthy, Physically Active Children Learn Better!” In a time of increasing health risks and health care costs in our country, prevention is a key and exemplary physical education programs must be part of the solution. Quality K-12 physical education programs help children gain the knowledge, skills and confidence that promote lifelong physical activity. The focus of physical education (“ New PE”) has shifted from competition to performance and personal challenges, individualized instruction, high levels of fitness that support good health, and exposure to a wide variety of lifetime activities.

Children also learn by example. If parents enjoy and participate in physical activity, so will their children! Children and adolescents should spend at least 60 minutes every day in a variety of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Maintaining healthy bodies is not only vital for physical well-being, but for mental and emotional development as well. Schedule a regular time throughout the week for your family to be physically active. Select fitness-oriented gifts and reward children with activity rather than food.

Keeping children and youth turned on to physical activity is another challenge facing parents. That is why it is also important to help children explore a wide variety of physical activities to determine what they like and then encourage them to participate in those activities on a regular basis.

With more inactive and overweight children than ever before, it is critically important for the future of our country that schools and families work together to promote quality, fun physical activity opportunities for everyone.

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