1. Climbing On the Scales

Children are getting more overweight all the time. Calorie intake has increased, and exercise has decreased. Dr.Sarah Hampl, director of Weight Management Services at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo., observes the problem on a daily basis. "Increasing educational expectations have meant that opportunities for physical activity have been cut," she says. "Physical education is no longer a daily experience, even for elementary school students. Many students are unable to attain success at traditional physical education activities and group sports, and sometimes little effort is put into helping them find physical activities in which they can individually excel."

 2. Walking Away from Convenience

In the past, schools have been designed to make it as easy as possible to limit travel distances between different spaces. The time between periods can be reduced when the overall layout is condensed. However, by planning a school that has areas strategically located at a reasonable distance apart, students are forced to walk. It's a simple way to engineer fitness into a school. In warmer regions, buildings should be planned to incorporate traveling between them as part of a student's exercise. Where interior corridors are prevalent in colder climates, separating spaces can still be done, although hallways may have to be extended. The student commons area at West Point Junior High School, designed by VCBO Architects, shows a connecting link between spaces. (CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS) In our effort make everything so convenient, we can miss very easy ways to promote fitness. Walking inside and outside of a school makes sense. We should also think twice before closing a neighborhood structure where students can walk to school. Displacing an entire school population and making them ride the bus may not be the best long-term solution.

3. Tracking Real and Artificial Changes

For years, school districts have seen the need to pump money into the "sports complex." Traditionally located at the high school or in close proximity to it, these stadiums include spectator seating, concession stands and team locker rooms. They promote one or two team sports that are district favorites. Today, however, more and more districts are seeing the need to make these facilities available to all students. Cinder or dirt tracks have been replaced with all-weather synthetic tracks. Grass has been replaced with artificial turf so that, in some regions, activity can be increased four to six fold. Most importantly, the facilities are being made available to all students and even the community. For example, at Solvay High School, designed by QPK Design, there is an artificial turf field surrounded by a running track.

(CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS)

4. Jogging Your Memory of Playgrounds

Do you remember the days of swing sets and teeter totters? Those days are but a distant memory. Today's playgrounds are elaborate and sophisticated structures designed to enhance safe and imaginative play. They have become more elaborate as the understanding has increased on how children play and interact with others. Landscape Structures Inc., uses the term "continuous play" when describing how their playground structures function. They have created innovative products like the Skatewave™ modular skateparks, Mobius™ Climbers, Spacenet™ Climbers and the newest system, Evos™. (CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS) At some schools, climbing walls have replaced the swings. (CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS)

As highlighted in the May Supplement, Kim Pavlovich has been leading the way in fitness with students. As principal of Jefferson Elementary School in Blaine, Minn.,she leads about 500 students, parents, and staff on a 2.5- to 3-mile weekly after-school run/walk.