The Time Is Now! Be active and fit. Be ready to take. the President s Challenge! Physical Activity, Nutrition & Fitness. The President s Challenge

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1 The Presidet s Challege Physical Activity, Nutritio & Fitess Awards Program Get Fit The Time Is Now! Be active ad fit. Be ready to take the Presidet s Challege! A Program of the Presidet s Coucil o Fitess, Sports & Nutritio, U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services

2 Table of Cotets 1 About the Presidet s Challege 2 Importace of Physical Activity ad Good Nutritio 3 Physical Activity for Youth with Disabilities 4 Dietary Guidelies for Americas 5 Tips for Improvig Physical Activity Habits 6 Improvig Physical Fitess: F.I.T.T. Priciples 7 Phases of a Formal Exercise Sessio 9 Gettig i Shape for the Presidet s Challege 9 Stretches for Warm-up ad Cool-dow 14 Aerobic Exercise 15 Muscular Stregth ad Edurace Exercises 22 The Presidetial Active Lifestyle Award Challege 25 The Presidetial Champios Challege 26 The Presidetial Youth Fitess Program 28 Uderstadig Physical Fitess Ackowledgmet May thaks to the PCFSN Sciece Board members resposible for the developmet ad review of this publicatio. Get Fit The Time Is Now! Be active ad fit. Be ready to take the Presidet s Challege! The Presidet s Challege is a program of the Presidet s Coucil o Fitess, Sports & Nutritio, U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services, offered through a co-sposorship with SHAPE America. This booklet ca be dowloaded from the Presidet s Challege website (presidetschallege.org). To order multiple copies of this booklet, call the Presidet s Challege office at or visit presidetschallege.org.

3 About the Presidet s Challege For over 58 years, the Presidet s Coucil o Fitess, Sports & Nutritio (PCFSN) has promoted programs ad iitiatives that motivate people of all ages, backgrouds, ad abilities to lead active, healthy lives. With its start i 1956, uder Presidet Dwight D. Eisehower, the Coucil formerly the Presidet s Coucil o Youth Fitess bega to elevate the importat role of physical activity i achievig good health. Durig the Johso Admiistratio, the Coucil s ame chaged to the Presidet s Coucil o Physical Fitess ad Sports. The Presidetial Physical Fitess Award Program bega i 1966 ad became the Presidet s Challege i I 2010, Presidet Obama siged a executive order to chage the ame ad missio of the Coucil to iclude utritio. The Presidet s Coucil o Fitess, Sports & Nutritio helps Americas of all ages lear how to live a healthy lifestyle through regular physical activity ad good utritio. Millios of America youth ad adults have bee recogized by the Coucil for beig active, fit, ad healthy. This booklet will help you lear how to make your lifestyle healthy by beig active every day ad eatig utritious foods. It cotais useful iformatio about activities you ca do to get ready to participate i the Presidet s Challege programs. The Presidet s Challege is a program of the Presidet s Coucil o Fitess, Sports & Nutritio, U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 1

4 Importace of Physical Activity ad Good Nutritio Physical Activity Guidelies The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelies for Americas, issued by the U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services, provide sciece-based guidace to help Americas age 6 ad older improve their health through appropriate physical activity. Developed with health professioals ad policymakers i mid, the Guidelies ca help you uderstad the health beefits of physical activity, lear about the types ad amouts of physical activity you eed to be healthy, choose appropriate physical activities that fit ito ay lifestyle or routie, ad lear ways to reduce the risks of activity-related ijury. Daily physical activity will help your muscles get stroger, prevet chroic diseases, ad cotrol weight. There are also added beefits that iclude reduced stress, improved sleep, ad icreased self-esteem. Today, may more childre ad adolescets have high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, ad other chroic coditios that used to occur oly i adults. Because of the childhood obesity epidemic, youth are at greater risk for heart disease, osteoporosis (weak boes), ad other disorders that ca develop early i life. You ca get healthy ow ad remai healthy for life by workig physical activity ad healthy eatig ito your daily routie. The most importat thig is to participate i may differet activities that you ejoy! A healthy lifestyle will help prevet disease ad keep you feelig fit ad strog. Childre ad Adolescets Youg people should iclude 60 miutes (1 hour) or more of physical activity every day, icludig: Daily moderate-itesity aerobics: Iclude vigorous-itesity activities 3 days or more each week. Muscle-stregtheig activities: at least 3 days each week. Boe-stregtheig activities: at least 3 days each week. Physical activity examples with itesity levels Moderate itesity Vigorous itesity Muscle stregtheig* Boe stregtheig* Brisk walkig Ruig Climbig trees Jumpig rope Teis (doubles) Swimmig laps Playig tug of war Teis Caoeig Hikig uphill Liftig weights Basketball Bicyclig slowly Fast dacig Gymastics Soccer * May muscle-stregtheig activities also stregthe boes ad may qualify as moderate- or vigorous-itesity aerobic activities. For more iformatio about the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelies, visit 2 The Presidet s Challege

5 Physical Activity for Youth with Disabilities Approximately 56 millio Americas today have a disability ad the obesity rate, specifically for childre with disabilities, is 38 percet higher tha for childre without disabilities. Esurig that youth with disabilities have opportuities to be active is critical. Youth with disabilities ad their families should cosult with their health care provider to idetify the types of activities ad amout of activity that are best for them. Childre ad adolescets with disabilities should aim to meet the geeral physical activity guidelies of 60 miutes each day, with muscle ad boe stregtheig activities completed at least 3 days each week, based o a physicia s guidace. The Presidet s Challege provides great tools, programs, ad recogitio opportuities to motivate youth with disabilities. This icludes the Coucil s I Ca Do It, You Ca Do It! (ICDI) program, which promotes physical activity opportuities ad healthy eatig optios for Americas with physical ad cogitive disabilities. Through the Presidet s Challege ad ICDI, teachers, fitess leaders, parets, ad others ca make accommodatios as eeded to esure every child ca be recogized for his or her efforts. For more iformatio o physical activity for youth with disabilities, please visit fitess.gov. Youth should be as active as possible at a early age. Creatig early positive experieces with physical activity will help them build habits that will last a lifetime. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 3

6 Dietary Guidelies for Americas The U.S. Departmet of Agriculture ad the U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services publish utritioal recommedatios for all Americas over the age of 2, based o the most curret scietific research. Here s how you ca put these guidelies to use by makig healthy food ad drik choices every day: Balace Calories Cotrol calories. Ejoy your food, but do t eat too much of it. Choose lea sources of protei. Select eggs; lea cuts of chicke, pork, turkey, ad beef; seafood; ad uts, seeds, beas, ad peas. Foods to Icrease Fruits ad vegetables. These should fill at least half your plate. There are may optios, icludig 100% fruit or vegetable juices; fresh, dried, caed (i water or 100% juice), froze, whole, cut-up, or pureed veggies ad fruits. Whole grais. Make at least half your grais whole grais. Try whole-wheat bread istead of white bread, brow rice istead of white rice, ad whole-wheat or brow rice pasta. Fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt, or cheese. Lactose-reduced or lactose-free items are optios, as well. Foods to Decrease Salt. Check labels ad packages ad choose products with lower salt (sodium) cotet. Caed ad prepackaged soup, bread, sacks, froze meals, ad coutless other items ca have a lot of salt. Sugary driks. Beware of sports driks, soda, ad flavored water. Drik water istead. For more iformatio about the Dietary Guidelies for Americas, please visit choosemyplate.gov/dietary-guidelies.html. Keep your boes strog! Almost all of your boe mass develops by the time you reach age 18. You ca help your boes grow strog ad healthy by beig active ad eatig ad drikig foods ad beverages rich i utriets. To help build healthy boes ad teeth, you should eat ad drik dairy products, which are rich i calcium ad vitami D. Drikig 3 cups of milk or other dairy products per day is good for your boes. Fortified soy beverages, orage juice, ad yogurt also cotai calcium ad vitami D, ad may breakfast cereals also cotai vitami D. Read the utritio labels carefully o these products if you are relyig o them to meet your calcium ad vitami D eeds. 4 The Presidet s Challege

7 Tips for Improvig Physical Activity Habits Everyoe ca improve their fitess, eve those who are already active. Beig fit ad healthy meas exercisig to improve edurace, flexibility, ad stregth, ad makig healthy food ad drik choices. Here are some tips to help you get started ad keep you goig: Fid activities that you ejoy. You ca get the exercise your body eeds i lots of ways a pick-up basketball game, ridig your bike, karate, or cheerleadig practice. You do t have to go to a gym or play a sport to be healthy ad get fit. Just be active ad do what s fu! Make chages slowly. Do t do too much too soo. Gradually icrease your activity over a period of weeks. before, durig, ad after the activities. Do you otice that you feel eergized after playig basketball or dacig with frieds? Motivate yourself to get movig. With frieds or family members, start a physical activity challege such as the Presidetial Active Lifestyle Award. This will keep you motivated over a six-week period ad spark some friedly competitio. Fid a fried to be active with you or ask your parets to register you for a activity that you are iterested i. Remember if you get off track you ca always pick up where you dropped off. Your body ad mid will beefit from physical activity every day. Keep a activity joural. Record the activities you do each day, icludig TV watchig or computer use (for thigs other tha school work). Record how you feel Get Fit The Time Is Now! 5

8 Improvig Physical Fitess: F.I.T.T. Priciples To improve edurace, stregth, ad flexibility i preparatio for the FITNESSGRAM test evets or a sport, pay attetio to: Frequecy, Itesity, Type, ad Time (F.I.T.T.). Frequecy Set up a regular schedule for exercisig. Try to do at least oe hour of physical activity daily, ad iclude more vigorous physical activity (for older childre, this may iclude sports traiig or competitio) three to four days a week. You will see improvemets whe you exercise regularly ad have a schedule for exercise. Itesity Work harder whe exercisig tha you do whe you are at rest. That s the oly way your muscles ad boes will get stroger ad your body will get more fit. Your heart should beat faster ad breathig should icrease whe you are doig aerobic exercise or liftig weights. Be sure you do t overdo it. Liftig too much weight or workig out too hard ca cause ijuries. If you have questios about your liftig routie, please cosult a physicia or a traier for guidace. Type Exercise your body the same way that you are goig to use it. Be sure to icorporate differet types of exercises ito your workout to maximize the beefits. Variety is importat whe tryig to improve edurace, stregth, ad flexibility. For flexibility, you must stretch. For icreased stregth, challege your muscles with a variety of weight exercises that activate all muscle groups. To build aerobic capacity, you must icrease your heart rate through cardiovascular exercises, such as walkig or joggig. Time The Physical Activity Guidelies for Americas suggest miute sessios of cardio (or workig your way up to that). The legth of your workout will deped ot just o your fitess level, but also your itesity. The harder you work, the shorter your workouts will be. 6 The Presidet s Challege

9 Phases of a Formal Exercise Sessio Doig ay type of physical activity, whether a iformal game of tag, skateboardig, or a more formal exercise sessio at the gym, is beeficial for oe s overall health ad well-beig. Below is a descriptio of the four phases of exercise to esure that your body is ready to move. 1. Warm Up: Warmig up makes your muscles more limber ad decreases your chace of beig ijured durig exercise. A warm-up ivolves doig the activity at a slower speed or lower itesity. Whe you warm up, you icrease your blood flow ad get your muscles ad joits ready to exercise. Most people are warmed up whe they begi to sweat ad breathe heavier. 2. Stretchig: Oce you have warmed up, you should do stretchig exercises to prepare your whole body. Target the muscles that will be used while you are actively exercisig. The proper form is to stretch util there is some tesio o the muscle. Reach ad hold the stretch while maitaiig the proper positio for each specific stretchig activity. See some example stretches o pages Exercise: This is where you do ay moderate- or vigorous-itesity activities (see page 2 for examples). Always make sure to take appropriate safety precautios (like wearig protective gear) ad to exercise for a duratio ad at a itesity that works for you. 4. Coolig Dow: After exercisig you should cool dow. It is best to walk aroud for a few miutes util your breathig is ormal ad your heartbeat slows dow. The, you are ready to begi your cool-dow stretches. Stretchig agai after you have cooled dow will help icrease your rage of motio ad prevet soreess. You should complete the stretches you did before the exercise ad add more stretches for the specific muscles worked. Physical activity tip stay hydrated Water makes up about 2/3 of our body weight. Adequate body water is essetial for vital body processes. Oe of the most importat purposes of water is to help keep our body temperature ormal. Dehydratio occurs whe body water drops below ormal levels. Thirst is ot a accurate sig of hydratio. Feelig thirsty is just oe sig of dehydratio. Quick body weight loss is due maily to water loss. Checkig body weight before ad after very vigorous exercise or sports practices is a way to check the amout of body water loss durig exercise. To replace oe poud of body water lost, drik about 2 ½ cups of water or other fluid. Drik eough water before, durig, ad after physical activities to keep yourself from becomig dehydrated. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 7

10 Buildig strog ad healthy boes ad joits Three types of exercises are eeded to build strog, healthy boes ad joits: Weight-bearig aerobic Resistace Flexibility Weight-bearig aerobic meas your legs ad feet support your body weight whe you are active. A few examples of weight-bearig aerobic exercise are: Hikig Dacig Stair climbig Sports like bicyclig ad swimmig are great for your heart ad lugs. These aerobic exercises are ot weight-bearig, so they will ot improve boe stregth. That s because your body is beig supported by somethig other tha your feet ad legs, like a bicycle or the water. Resistace meas your body is workig agaist the weight of aother object or perso. Resistace helps build strog boes because it puts strai o boes. Strai meas eough stress is placed o the boe to make the boe slightly chage i shape. Types of strais iclude compressio, bedig, or twistig. Exercises that ivolve resistace iclude: Usig free weights or weight machies at home or i the gym Usig elastic bads or tubig that comes i a variety of stregths Usig your body weight to do push-ups or ruig, joggig, jumpig, skippig, hoppig, climbig, or liftig objects Childre do ot eed to participate i formal weight traiig sessios that iclude use of free weights or weight machies. Geerally, the variety of activities youg childre egage i offer opportuities to stregthe muscles. Adolescets ad teeagers may wish to egage i more formal weight traiig sessios. For best results, do resistace exercises two or three times a week. You ca make the exercises more challegig by gradually addig weight or repetitios. Work all your muscles icludig arms, chest, shoulders, legs, abdome, ad back. Flexibility refers to the rage of motio at joits i your body ad i the legth of muscles that cross the joits. A joit is the locatio at which two or more boes come together. Rage of motio meas the distace ad directio a joit ca move betwee the flexed (shorteed) positio ad the exteded (legtheed) positio. Havig flexible joits ca help prevet ijuries. Flexibility exercises iclude: Body stretchig T ai chi ad yoga 8 The Presidet s Challege

11 Gettig i Shape for the Presidet s Challege O the followig pages are some exercises you ca do o your ow to help you meet physical activity ad fitess goals you may have set through the PALA+ or Presidetial Champios programs or for the FITNESSGRAM, if your school is participatig i the Presidetial Youth Stretches for Warm-up ad Cool-dow Fitess Program. Whe doig these exercises, make sure you follow the directios. If you are usure about what to do or would like additioal or differet exercises to perform, ask your physical educatio teacher or fitess leader. Neck Stretch While sittig or stadig with your head i its ormal upright positio, slowly tilt it to the right util tesio is felt o the left side of your eck. Hold that tesio for 10 to 30 secods ad the retur your head to the upright positio. Repeat to the left side, ad the toward the frot. Always retur to the upright positio before movig o. Reach to the Sky Stad with feet shoulder-width apart. Raise both arms overhead so that your hads are itertwied with palms together. Hold for 10 to 30 secods ad relax. 9

12 Reach Back Stad with feet shoulder-width apart ad hold your arms out to the sides with thumbs poitig dow. Slowly move both arms back util you feel tesio. Hold for 10 to 30 secods ad relax. Arm Circles Stad with feet shoulderwidth apart ad hold arms straight out to the side with your palms facig up. Start movig your arms slowly i small circles ad gradually make larger ad larger circles. Come back to the startig positio ad reverse the directio of your arm swig. Toe Touch While seated, exted both legs i frot of you. Keep your back straight ad reach for your toes with both hads without boucig. Do ot bed your kees. Be sure to breathe throughout the stretch. Hold this stretch for 10 to 30 secods. Repeat. 10 The Presidet s Challege

13 Twister Sit o a mat with your right leg straight i frot of you. Bed your left leg ad cross it over your right leg so that your left foot is alogside your right kee. Brig your right elbow across your body ad place it o the outside of your left thigh ear the kee. Slowly twist your body as you look over your left shoulder. Your right elbow should be exertig pressure agaist your left thigh. Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 secods, relax, ad repeat for the other side. Kee to Chest Lie o your back o a mat with your legs straight. Bed your left kee ad brig it up toward your chest. Grasp the uderside of your thigh ad slowly pull your thigh to your chest. Hold for 10 to 30 secods. Release, ad repeat with the right leg. Butterfly Sit o a mat with your kees bet. Put the soles of your feet (or shoes) together ad hold o to your akles. Place your elbows o the ier sides of your kees ad slowly apply dowward pressure util you feel tesio. Do ot bouce the kees. Hold for 10 to 30 secods ad repeat. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 11

14 Thigh Stretch Stadig, bed oe leg back ad place the akle of oe of your legs i the had o the same side of your body. Be sure to keep the leg you are stretchig udereath your body ad close to the other leg ad keep your body upright (do ot lea forward). Hold o to a wall or chair if you lose your balace. Hold the stretch for 15 to 20 secods oce you feel some tesio i the frot of your leg. Repeat twice with each leg. Hurdler s Stretch While seated o the floor, place oe foot o the iside of the other leg just above your kee. Keep the other leg exteded ad straight. With your back straight, press forward toward the thigh of your exteded leg. Use your hads for support. Whe you feel some tesio i the back of your leg, hold the stretch for 15 to 20 secods. Do ot bouce while holdig this stretch. Repeat twice with legs i each positio. Stretchig helps you move better ad feel less stiff or tired, ad makes your muscles stroger too. 12 The Presidet s Challege

15 Calf Stretch Place your hads agaist a wall while stadig upright. Bed oe kee slightly i frot of your body while you exted the opposite leg backward util the foot is placed flat o the floor. With your back straight, you should feel some tesio i the back of your leg. Hold the stretch for 15 to 20 secods ad repeat twice with each leg. Child s Pose Keel dow ad sit back o your feet with your heels poitig outward. Rest your forehead o the floor, relaxig your face, eck, ad shoulders. Brig your arms alogside your body with palms tured toward the ceilig. Take 10 to 15 deep, slow breaths. Roll body back up ad back dow to repeat. Cat ad Camel O your hads ad kees with your head parallel to the floor, arch your back ad the let it slowly sag toward the floor. Try to keep your arms straight. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 13

16 Aerobic Exercise Aerobic exercises help you icrease your cardiorespiratory fitess by icreasig the amout of oxyge flowig to your muscles. Here are some examples of activities that you ca do to improve your cardiorespiratory fitess: Get Your Heart Pumpig Aerobic exercise makes your heart muscle strog ad fit, which makes your whole body healthier. Whe you breathe, you take i oxyge. Whe you do aerobic exercise, you ll breathe faster tha ormal, your heart will pump harder, ad you will perspire. Bicyclig Swimmig Skatig (Rollerbladig) Ruig/Joggig/Walkig/Hikig Cross-coutry Skiig Soccer Full-court Basketball Sigles Racquetball/Teis/Badmito Whe you give your heart aerobic workouts o a regular basis, it will get eve better at its mai job deliverig oxyge (i the form of oxyge-carryig blood cells) to all parts of your body. 14 The Presidet s Challege

17 Muscular Stregth ad Edurace Exercises Whe doig these exercises, always make sure you are usig the correct form. Not doig so ca cause ijury or cause the movemet to limit the stregth gais you receive. Doig excessive repetitios or liftig more weight does ot make you stroger sooer. By tryig to do too much whe performig stregtheig exercises, you ca icrease your risk of ijury. Always pay attetio to your body ad its safety. Abdomial ad Core Stregth Curl-up Lie dow o the floor with your legs bet ad your feet placed flat o the floor. Cross your arms o your chest. Lift your chest toward your kees util your shoulders come off of the floor. Lie back dow oce your shoulders come off the floor. Repeat for a predetermied umber of repetitios. Plak Lie facedow with arms shoulder-width apart, forearms o the floor ad palms facig dow. Whe ready, pull the abdomial muscles up ad come up oto your toes so you are supported by your elbows (forearms are still flat o floor) ad toes. Keep your back flat ad your head ad heels i oe straight lie. Hold this for 20 to 60 secods ad repeat for a predetermied umber of repetitios. If the full plak is too difficult, keep your kees o the floor ad work your way up to the full plak. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 15

18 Leg Lift Lie o the floor o your back. Place your hads alogside your body, extedig your legs toward the ceilig. Lower your legs without them touchig the floor. Lift your legs back to the startig positio, repeatig 8 to 12 times. To avoid ijury, do ot arch your back. Bet Kee Push-up Start o your kees. Place your hads o the floor i frot of you. Keep hads uder your shoulders. Slowly lower yourself to the floor, keepig your abdomial muscles tight. Keep your back straight. Start with two sets of 5 ad icrease util you ca do two sets of 10 i a sigle workout. 16 The Presidet s Challege

19 Right Agle Push-up Lie face dow with your hads uder your shoulders, figers straight, with legs straight, parallel, ad slightly apart; your toes should support your feet. Straighte your arms while keepig your back ad kees straight, ad lower your body util you have a 90-degree agle at the elbows. Repeat for a predetermied umber of repetitios. Push-away If you are uable to do a bet kee or right agle push-up, start with the push-away ad work up to the more challegig optios. Work up to three sets of 10 i oe workout. Face the wall ad place your palms flat o the wall at shoulder height. Walk backwards util your arms are straight. Bed your elbows ad brig your face close to the wall, keepig your back ad hips straight. Push back to the origial stadig positio. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 17

20 Modified Pull-up Place a pole or pipe that will support your body weight o the seat of two chairs that are about four feet apart. Lie o your back udereath the bar ad grasp it with both hads about shoulder width apart. Pull your chest up to the bar, keepig your body straight from head to toe. Lower your body back to the floor; repeat for a predetermied umber of repetitios. Doig exercises that stregthe muscles three times a week helps kids ad tees get a strog start for a log ad healthy life. 18 The Presidet s Challege

21 Dip/Chair Dip If you have a dip statio, place your hads o the bars with your arms straight ad your feet hagig free. Lower your body by bedig your elbows util your arms are bet at a 90-degree agle. Repeat for a predetermied umber of repetitios. If you do ot have a dip statio, you ca do these with chairs that are sturdy eough to support your weight. Place two chairs approximately shoulder-width apart ad use the arms of the chairs as your support. Place both feet together i frot of you with your heels restig o the floor ad legs straight. Perform the dip the same as it would be performed o a dip statio. Lower Body ad Leg Stregth Luge Stad upright ad take a big step forward. Bed your frot kee straight dow keepig your kee from goig i frot of your toes. Your back leg should trail straight behid you; bed your back leg straight dow. Keep the weight o the heel of your frot foot. You ca push off ad retur to the place where you started or brig your back leg up to your frot (so you are movig). Repeat 8 to 10 times o each leg ad do 2 to 3 sets. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 19

22 Wall Squat Stad with your back straight agaist a wall with your feet slightly away from the wall (6 to 12 iches) ad toes poitig forward. Slide your back dow the wall util your thighs are parallel to the floor. Do ot let your kees come out i frot of your toes. Hold util your thigh muscles begi to bur, ad the push up to the startig positio. Repeat 8 to 10 times. Side Leg Raise Stad straight, directly behid a table or chair that you ca use for balace if eeded, feet slightly apart. Slowly lift oe leg 6 to 12 iches out to the side. Keep your back ad both legs straight. Do t poit your toes outward; keep them facig forward. Hold positio for 1 secod. Slowly lower leg all the way dow. Do 8 to 15 repetitios ad the switch legs. Cotractig your abdomial muscles ad stadig with shoulders dow, head straight, ca help with your balace. 20 The Presidet s Challege

23 Calf Raises Stad with the frots of both feet o a heavy block ad oe or both hads o a chair or table for balace. Slowly raise up o your toes ad the lower. You ca also stad o a step. Place the balls of your feet at the edge of the step. Slowly lower your heels util they are as far below the stair as you ca maage. Slowly raise your heels util they are as high above the stair as you ca reach. Slowly move through the full rage of motio about 10 to 12 times. Three Presidet s Challege programs Presidetial Youth Fitess Program Fitess club for grades K 3 ad awards program for grades 4 12 FITNESSGRAM test items assess 5 compoets of health-related fitess Studets i grades 4 12 who score i the Healthy Fitess Zoe o 5 of the 6 test items are eligible for the Presidetial Youth Fitess Award Presidetial Champios Program Poits-based program Olie oly The more active you are, the more quickly Presidetial Active Lifestyle Award Program For ages 6 ad older Emphasizes importace of physical activity ad healthy eatig habits Ages 6 17 must be active at least 60 miutes a day/five days a week ad build upo healthy eatig goals for six weeks Participate i a variety of aerobic, muscle-stregtheig, ad boestregtheig activities Track your progress olie or o paper (see log o page 24) you ear a award Gold 160,000 poits Silver 90,000 poits Broze 40,000 poits Get Fit The Time Is Now! 21

24 The Presidetial Active Lifestyle Award Challege The Presidetial Active Lifestyle Award: Activity + Nutritio (PALA+) helps you make ad keep a commitmet to stayig active ad eatig well. This program is great for idividuals of all ages ad abilities. This program is great if you are ot already active o a regular basis. The PALA+ Challege is also a good tool to use to help you prepare for the Presidetial Youth Fitess Program assessmet. 1. Choose a start date. You ca take the Challege by yourself, or together with frieds ad family. Choose activities that you ejoy ad make you feel good. For example, playig a sport, doig chores aroud the house, or takig a martial arts or swim class with a fried. You ca log activities as routie as ridig your bike or walkig to the store, but you may wat to make your start date the same as the first day of your swim class or your after-school recreatio program to help you get started o the right track. Variety is key! 2. Get active. You eed to meet your daily activity goal: 60 miutes a day at least 5 days per week, for a total of 6 weeks. You may also eter the umber of steps you take each day tracked o a pedometer. Boys ad girls should aim for a miimum of 12,000 steps per day. You ca take up to 8 weeks to complete the program. So, if you get off track oe week or are sick, do t worry. You ca complete the challege whe you feel better. 3. Make healthy eatig choices. Fuel your body with the good foods it eeds to help you feel ad be your best. There are eight healthy eatig goals for you to icorporate each week through the Challege. You ll add o a ew healthy eatig goal each week. Try to follow the healthy eatig goals every day. Some goals, such as choosig low-fat or fat-free dairy products, may require advaced plaig. If you usually drik 2% or have whole milk cheeses or yogurts, coordiate with your family to use 1%, skim, fat-free, or low-fat milk items istead. What is a pedometer? A pedometer is a small device wor o your hip; it couts the umber of steps that you take. 22 The Presidet s Challege

25 Healthy Eatig Goals I made half my plate fruits ad vegetables. At least half of the grais that I ate were whole grais. I chose fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt, or cheese. I drak water istead of sugary driks (icludig sports driks ad sodas). I chose lea sources of protei. I compared sodium i foods like caed soup ad froze meals ad chose foods with less sodium. I ate seafood 1 to 2 times this week. I ate smaller portios. 4. Track your activity. A olie activity log makes it easy for you to select ad track your healthy eatig goals ad the time you sped o activities. You ca log your time as ofte as you wat, i icremets as short as 5 miutes. If you do t wat to log your activity olie, a free paper log is available to dowload, too (see page 24). Keep i mid that usig the paper log meas we wo t have a olie record of the activity poits you ear that could apply to other programs i the Presidet s Challege. 5. Ear your award. Whe you reach a goal, the Active Lifestyle program recogizes your accomplishmet with special awards. Awards are available olie or by mail, fax, or phoe. You ca the cotiue earig awards i the Active Lifestyle program or move o to the Presidetial Champios challege. Visit presidetschallege.org to get started. Whe families share meals, they ted to eat more vegetables ad fruits, ad fewer uhealthy foods. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 23

26 Dowload your ow Active Lifestyle log You ca dowload ad prit out a activity log from the Presidet s Challege website at presidetschallege.org. Here s a sample log. Week 1 Day Mo Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Su # of Miutes or Physical Activities Pedometer Steps Rode Bicycle, Skate Board, P E C lass 70 Pedometer 13,526 Dace Lessos, Walk the Dog, Recess 75 Pedometer 11,177 Roller Bladig, Street Hockey, P E C lass 65 Scooter Ridig, Soccer 75 Wet to Park w/family, Karate Lessos 60 Healthy Eatig Select a goal for this week. Participat Sigature Date Activities that cout might iclude ay teams that you play o, activities i physical educatio class or at recess, active games with your frieds, or ay other activity that takes effort. 24 The Presidet s Challege

27 The Presidetial Champios Challege The Presidetial Champios is aother program of the Presidet s Challege to help active idividuals stay active over a loger period of time. Takig part i the program takes just a few simple steps: 1. Create your log. The Presidetial Champios challege ca be completed olie oly. Visit presidetschallege.org to get started. If you already have a olie log you started through the PALA+ challege, you ca easily switch your settig to start the Champios challege. 2. Challege a fried or family member. The website allows you to create ad joi groups. Kowig someoe else is i it with you ca help to keep you o track. 3. Get active. Your goal is to see how may poits you ca ear by beig active. You ll ear poits for every activity you log from a 5-miute bike ride to a 55-miute soccer practice. Poits are based o the amout of eergy each activity burs. So the more active you are, the more poits you ll get. Remember that variety is best. 4. Ear your award. The Presidetial Champios program recogizes your accomplishmets with special awards. The first goal to aim for is a Broze award. The you ca keep goig for a Silver or Gold award. Awards are available olie or by mail, phoe, or fax. You ll fid all the program details olie at presidetschallege.org. The oly thig left to do is to log o ad sig up. Presidetial Champios awards Presidetial Champios Gold Award For ayoe who ears 160,000 poits i the Presidetial Champios Program Presidetial Champios Silver Award For ayoe who ears 90,000 poits i the Presidetial Champios Program Presidetial Champios Broze Award For ayoe who ears 40,000 poits i the Presidetial Champios Program Get Fit The Time Is Now! 25

28 The Presidetial Youth Fitess Program You ca achieve a lifetime of fitess by developig healthy habits today. The Presidetial Youth Fitess Program helps studets of all ages set ad achieve physical activity ad fitess goals. There are five health-related compoets of physical fitess: aerobic capacity muscular stregth muscular edurace flexibility body compositio The followig are the FITNESSGRAM tests your physical educatio teacher may use to help assess your health-related fitess as part of your school s participatio i the Presidetial Youth Fitess Program. Progress i the five compoets is measured through tests i six categories: 1. aerobic capacity 2. body compositio 3. abdomial stregth ad edurace 4. truk extesor stregth ad flexibility 5. upper body stregth ad edurace 6. flexibility Get i the zoe! Most studets who participate i physical activity almost every day will be able to achieve a score that will place them i the Healthy Fitess Zoe (HFZ). A studet who scores i the HFZ i 5 out of 6 evets is eligible to receive the Presidetial Youth Fitess Award. 26 The Presidet s Challege

29 Your school may choose to recogize studets with awards from the Presidetial Youth Fitess Program. The Presidetial Youth Fitess Award is oe way to recogize studets i grades 4 12 for achievig their health fitess goals. To ear the award, you must achieve the Healthy Fitess Zoe stadard o at least five test items from the six test categories. Studets i grades K 3 ca also be recogized through the PYFP Fitess Club. To joi the club, a studet must be able to show they ca use the correct form whe doig the FITNESSGRAM tests. Exercise is good for every part of you! Your Body: Exercise makes your lugs, heart, muscles, ad boes stroger. Ad it helps you have better reflexes ad coordiatio, maage your weight, ad fight off disease. Your Mid: Exercise gets your blood flowig, so more oxyge gets to your brai. You ca cocetrate better, get better grades, ad sleep better. Your Mood: Exercise affects your brai chemistry. You ll have more eergy, feel better, ad be better able to keep calm durig stressful times. So get up ad move for a total of at least oe hour every day, ad you ll be a better perso i every way! Get Fit The Time Is Now! 27

30 Uderstadig Physical Fitess Physical fitess has may parts. Whe you are physically fit you have the eergy ad stregth to perform daily activities without gettig tired. Also, you have the eergy to participate i leisure ad recreatio activities. Whe you are fit you have a strog heart, lugs, ad muscles. Beig fit also improves your metal health ad your ability to cope with stressful evets. Beig physically active ad makig healthy eatig choices early i life will help you do the thigs that you wat to do well ito adulthood. Measurig Health-Related Physical Fitess The five parts of health-related fitess are: Aerobic Capacity, Muscular Stregth, Muscular Edurace, Flexibility, ad Body Compositio, each of which ca be measured ad tracked. Aerobic Capacity, also called cardio (heart) or aerobic fitess, or cardiovascular edurace, is the ability of your heart ad lugs to supply the muscles of your body with oxyge: a idicator of aerobic fitess. Exercises like cyclig, ruig, swimmig, ad walkig build your aerobic capacity. How quickly you ca ru a mile (or shorter distaces for youger childre) is oe way to measure this. Muscular Stregth is the amout of force you exert with a muscle. Your body has may muscles ad all of them should be exercised to keep them strog. You should do activities that stregthe your muscles at least three days a week. You ca use Eat smart to be active Carbohydrate loadig is used by some elite athletes to icrease the amout of fuel stored i their muscles before a very high itesity athletic evet like a maratho. It is ot ecessary for you to carbo-load i order to be fit ad healthy. Exercisig ad eatig a variety of foods icludig complex carbohydrates (foud i fruits, vegetables, beas, letils, ad whole-grai rice, breads, ad cereals) ad protei (foud i meat, fish, eggs, beas, ad letils) are key to beig healthy, buildig muscle, ad exercisig for loger periods of time. your body weight or additioal weights such as barbells. Weight-traiig machies are popular, too. Performig stregth-traiig exercises ca help you become strog ad less likely to get ijured whe workig or playig. Havig good muscle stregth helps your posture ad creates strog boes. 28 The Presidet s Challege

31 Buildig muscles Although it is importat for you to eat a adequate amout of protei, cosumig additioal protei does ot promote muscle growth. You ca get the right amout of protei from regular food like lea meats, low-fat milk ad dairy products, uts (peaut butter), ad beas. Protei supplemets are ot ecessarily eeded to build muscle stregth. Muscular Edurace is the ability of your muscles to move for log periods of time (a idicator of a muscle s ability to do work). Exercises like curl-ups ad push-ups help build muscular edurace. You eed to build edurace so you have more eergy ad are able to play or work harder for loger periods of time. Flexibility is the ability to move your muscles ad joits through their full rage of motio. Flexible joits ad muscles make it easier to do everyday activities like makig your bed or grabbig a item off a high shelf. Beig flexible ca help prevet ijuries ad promote relaxatio. Stretchig icreases flexibility. Whe stretchig you should reach easily i a directio ad hold the stretch do ot bouce. Body Compositio is the amout of lea body weight (mass), icludig boes, muscles, ad other tissues, compared to the amout of fat weight (mass) i your body. Physically fit people geerally have much more lea body mass tha fat body mass. Beig active, exercisig regularly, ad eatig healthy will keep your body strog ad fit. Adolescet boys ad me ted to have less body fat tha adolescet girls ad wome. To fid out if your body mass compositio is good, ask a physical educatio or health teacher to measure your percet of body fat. Why is physical educatio importat? A well-taught physical educatio class ca provide you with the kowledge, skills, ad cofidece you eed to be active for life regardless of your ability. You ca get most of the physical activity you eed for the day durig physical educatio class icludig moderate ad vigorous activities, ad muscle- ad boe-stregtheig activities. Get Fit The Time Is Now! 29

32 The Presidet s Challege Physical Activity, Nutritio & Fitess Awards Program 1185 W. Secod Street Bloomigto, IN The Presidet s Challege