Fit to Succeed - Toolkit - The Vision
The Vision
To increase activity levels of children and young people to enable them to achieve sustainable improvements in health and academic performance.
Key objectives:-
The issues
There is growing evidence that active young people are more likely to realise their potential in both academic and social aspects of their lives. If they are able to develop lifestyles that include regular patterns of activity while they are young it will be easy to maintain that into adult life.
It is now well known that obesity levels are increasing particularly among children. It is all too easy for children and young people to find sedentary activities to fill their time for example playing computer games, watching TV and so on. For many years research from the Schools Health Education Unit has shown that as children grow older they become less physically active. Other evidence suggests that by the time they are adults, six out of ten men and seven out of ten women do too little exercise to benefit their health.
Fit to Succeed came into being to try to find a way to help schools and local communities increase the opportunities available for young people to be active. The young people need to be consulted on what they are interested in and involved in the development of the project within their local area.
The message for young people
Benefits of being physically active when you are young?
Any sort of physical activity that makes you breathe harder will be good for you. This is a good opportunity for you to try out new activities, make new friends and visit new places. Remember, if you discover a new activity that you enjoy, you are more likely to carry on going and stay physically active. It is also important to find time to get the oxygen pumping around your body early in the day. This will help to get oxygen to your brain so it will make learning easier.
Get everyone involved
To get the most out of this project we need it to stay alive and not be forgotten after a few weeks. So you could do these things:
To increase activity levels of children and young people to enable them to achieve sustainable improvements in health and academic performance.
Key objectives:-
- To investigate the link between pupils' activity profiles and their academic achievement.
- To encourage increased participation in physical activity amongst young people in Exeter.
- To provide pathways to sustain healthy and active lifestyles.
The issues
There is growing evidence that active young people are more likely to realise their potential in both academic and social aspects of their lives. If they are able to develop lifestyles that include regular patterns of activity while they are young it will be easy to maintain that into adult life.
It is now well known that obesity levels are increasing particularly among children. It is all too easy for children and young people to find sedentary activities to fill their time for example playing computer games, watching TV and so on. For many years research from the Schools Health Education Unit has shown that as children grow older they become less physically active. Other evidence suggests that by the time they are adults, six out of ten men and seven out of ten women do too little exercise to benefit their health.
Fit to Succeed came into being to try to find a way to help schools and local communities increase the opportunities available for young people to be active. The young people need to be consulted on what they are interested in and involved in the development of the project within their local area.
The message for young people
Benefits of being physically active when you are young?
- You will feel great!
- It will be easier for you to maintain a healthy body weight.
- It will make your bones and muscles stronger and keeps your joints flexible.
- You will feel happier and more confident in yourself.
Any sort of physical activity that makes you breathe harder will be good for you. This is a good opportunity for you to try out new activities, make new friends and visit new places. Remember, if you discover a new activity that you enjoy, you are more likely to carry on going and stay physically active. It is also important to find time to get the oxygen pumping around your body early in the day. This will help to get oxygen to your brain so it will make learning easier.
Get everyone involved
To get the most out of this project we need it to stay alive and not be forgotten after a few weeks. So you could do these things:
- Talk about activities you have tried with your friends and others in your class.
- Invite a friend to go with you to a new activity.
- Encourage your parents, friends and teachers to become more active as well.