Go Play! New Jersey

Go Play Initiative | Jeremy Bell and Danielle Cox

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTERPAGEINRODUCTION 2TARGET AUDIENCE, TOPIC 3OVERALL PROGRAM GOALS 3TIMEFRAME, MATERIALS AND METHODS 4EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES (S.M.A.R.T.) 5-6APPLIED MEDIA (DISPLAY BOARD PHOTOS)7-8APPLIED MEDIA (BROCHURE HANDOUTS, QUESTIONAIRE EXAMPLES)9-12ISSUES AND CONCERNS 13APPENDIX A (CDC RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES)14REFERENCES 15PRINTABLE BROCHURE TEMPLATES 16-17POWERPOINT PRESENATTION 18-35

INTRODUCTIONThis suggested program would be introduced by the physical education instructors as part of the Carusi Middle School curriculum. Through interviews and discussion with our school nurse, and in combination with an increased public awareness of the rising BMIs found in New Jersey adults, our focus was to outline and implement a simple program that would allow middle school age children the opportunity to achieve the suggested 60 minutes of CDC recommended play each day. Currently, only 21.3% of children in New Jersey ages 10-17, are achieving 420 minutes of play each week (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2012). This data, along with simple qualitative observations provided by the physical education staff and school nurse, has revealed and highlighted a noticeable decrease in student resiliency and stamina with regard to physical activity. Our program is two-fold and acts as a preemptive initiative to support middle school age students health through 1) educating, promoting and empowering the students regarding physical activity, and 2) to begin tracking students anonymously as a means to quantify their group progress, and for potential longitudinal evaluation of their respective cohort. Although New Jersey is one of 29 states that do not compile student BMI data, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that BMI should be calculated and plotted annually for all youth (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [RWJF], 2014). To be clear, we are not proposing the tracking of BMI data; however, The Go Play Initiative will provide immediate and long-term assistance in tackling what has become a growing concern for our country as a whole, an individual lack of physical activity and conditioning. According to the CDC (2013) and RWJF (2014), New Jersey has shown a downward trend in childhood obesity over the past ten years; however, adult obesity has doubled since 1980. So, we have to ask ourselves; what kind of preventative measures can we implement now; is this problem based on poor-habits?The over-reaching goal of this program would be to gain a better knowledge of the current state of middle school age childrens health habits, and to promote a better understanding of the benefits of exercise. This will in turn prevent long-term complications and co-morbidities associated with rising BMI statistics. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) set a national goal to reduce the adult obesity rate by ten percent over the next ten years; this would be a reduction from 33.9 percent to 30.5 percent by 2020. Healthy People 2020 also set a goal of increasing the percentage of people at a healthy weight from 30.8 percent up to 33.9 percent by 2020; as of 2012, 26 states fell short of that goal (CDC, 2011). Our Go Play Initiative seeks to combat rising BMI trends, and work towards making a healthier New Jersey through positive habit forming with our middle school-age population.

Target audience During the first year of this program, our target cohort is all physically capable 6th grade students Male and Female, at Carusi Middle School; being physically capable as defined by having no known pre-existing medical limitations, and being of sound mind with regard to decision-making. Any students falling outside the scope of participation will be investigated and modified on a case by case basis as necessary. As of this writing there are 302 sixth grade students that would be participating.

Topic We seek to advocate and implement a plan for increased physical activity amongst middle school-age children. This will be a means to promote positive student growth, both physically and cognitively, as well as instill long-term exercise habits. Currently at Carusi students only receive a maximum of 120 minutes per week of physical activity in school (this breaks down into three-40 minute periods currently held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday); this is 300 minutes below the suggested CDC national standard of 420 minutes per week. How can we encourage students to make up for those additional 5 hours per week?

Basic Program Goals (These will be further defined in our Objectives section.)1. Physical education instructors will spend one class period each quarter educating students on physical activity benefits, administering questionnaire and providing feedback. 2. Program will successfully track 6th grade student for one year, using each quarter as a marker for evaluation. Students progress will be tracked as an anonymous working ID #, and will be entered onto a confidential spreadsheet, to be viewed only by each respective instructor.3. Working towards getting each capable student to play an average of 420 minutes per week by the beginning of their 7th grade year. (This is based on the CDC suggested 60mins per day (x 7 days = 420 minutes).

Timeframe Introductory education goal (Immediate)The initial health education component is to be done first, at the start of the program. This would entail a 15 minute presentation done during physical education class time. In our case, this would be the first week of class for 6th grade students. Specific requirements are outlined in the Objectives section. Each class of students will be given a similar presentation based on the discretion of the physical education instructors, and asked to complete the same anonymous questionnaires.

Short term goal (+9 weeks to the end of school year)Goal is based on 9-week quarters to be completed, each respectively, as the school year progresses. Our goal is to achieve an improvement of approximately 25% in average physical activity each quarter of the 6th grade year (120 minutes to begin with based on current allotted school time for physical activityincrease to approximately 2.5 hours by end of 1st quarterthen to approx. 3hours at end of 2nd quarterthen to approx. 4 hours by the end of 3rd andincrease to approx. 5.5 hours by end of school year.

Long term goal (+1-3 years)This would be achieved by a result of the original cohort, now 7th grade students, being able to achieve an average of 420 minutes, or 7 hours of play, per week on average when they return to school, one year from the start of the program.

Materials and MethodsEducational materials including benefits of exercise and prevention of obesity, questionnaires, display poster board, brochure, print-outs, scissors, glue, class room materials such as smart board, paper, pens, pencils, PowerPoint presentation, Excel spreadsheet for tracking, SPSS statistical analysis software for determining overall trends and evaluation of effectiveness by year 3.

Overall Objectives for Initiative1. Each respective physical education instructor at Carusi will spend approximately 15 minutes at the start of the school year, explaining and describing 5 basic health benefits of increased physical activity as recommended by the CDC. Each instructor will then hand out a brochure to all participating students. Instructor will then administer the 1st quarter questionnaire and each subsequent applicable questionnaire for each quarter. (These questionnaires are under Applied Media section of this packet.)2. Each respective physical education instructor will make 5 suggestions of activities (see Appendix A) to increase physical exercise during their first introduction at the start of school year. (i.e. This can be any activities or exercises the physical instructors choose to highlight.) Each instructor will then reinforce these suggested activities each quarter.3. Students will complete quarterly questionnaires, answering all questions and submitting the questionnaire to their respective instructors by the end of each class period, each quarter, for a total of 4 questionnaires submitted by years end.

Educational Objectives (S.M.A.R.T. format): 1. All participating students will be able to demonstrate a cognitive understanding of new material by writing 2 health benefits achieved by increased physical activity. All participating students will complete this task activity by the end of respective class period, and will then participate in an informal discussion about these benefits; each student will contribute one comment or idea to class discussion.2. All participating students will be able to distinguish and select two different physical activities that they can implement in their daily lives, or that they simply enjoy and would like to do. These two selected activities will be physically demonstrated under the supervision of their respective instructor during the subsequent physical education class. This will be done with each new quarter.3. All participating students will complete an appropriate quarterly questionnaire during their respective class period (4 times a year, at the start of each new quarter), and will be able to list one way in which they feel better about themselves as a result of increased physical activity by the end of that specific class period. These will then be submitted to their instructors, and data will be entered by instructors, within 24 hours of questionnaire completion.

Evaluation of Educational Objectives (S.M.A.R.T format):1. Writing 2 health benefits achieved by increased physical activity, and having an informal discussion about them as a class.2. The selected activities will be physically demonstrated under the supervision of their respective instructor during the subsequent physical education class with activity.3. Completion of the appropriate quarterly questionnaire.

*Note to ReaderThe first year of this program, the 6th graders would be assigned participant # by their respective physical education instructors; the student will fill out a questionnaire quarterly, and have their progress monitored as an overall result. This is to prevent the singling out of specific students for any reason. Each cohorts activity levels will be tracked from the 6th grade year, up until the end of the 8th grade year for complete analysis. Any data acquired as a result of the questions will be entered promptly, with 24 hours of each quarterly questionnaire. This data will be entered by the respective physical education instructors in private, onto a simple Excel spreadsheet tracking system. Self-reporting would be necessary and students would be encouraged to answer honestly as there are no wrong answers. Trends and impact will be evaluated after the first year. It is important to note that this is primarily an educational and motivational initiative; the physical evaluations are of less important, than the attempt at cognitive-restructuring for health prevention on a primary level.

Applied Media An informational pack, such as this Initiative packet, brochure, and the attached questionnaires (see below) will be implemented to assist the physical education instructors in their own education and preparation. Instructors will be restricted to using evidence-based resources for any and all suggestions for benefits and activities. However, instructors are encouraged to implement their own strategies and activity plans. The brochure provided will be distributed to each student and instructor on the first day introduction to the Go Play! Initiative. Supplementary display posters will be provided for all students to pass in school hallways as a reminder (see below); constant exposure to the initiative will help to keep the students cognizant of physical activity expectations as established by the CDC.

Display Poster

(Display Poster from Carusi Middle School, 2015)

(Display Poster, Left Panel)

(Display Poster, Right Panel)

Brochure Handout Pdf (outer)

Brochure Handout Pdf (inner)

Go Play! Initiative New JerseyStudent 1st Quarterly Questionnaire

Students assigned ID #: ______________________ Date: __________

Quarter (circle) 1st

1. What are 2 health benefits that can be gained from increased physical exercise?

2. What are 2 daily activities or exercises that you can do for 60 minutes total, each day? This could be one exercise or a combination of activities and exercises.

3. Is there anything in your daily life that might prevent you from being able to play 60 minutes each day?

Thank you for your participation. All participants will be represented by a random ID #, as assigned by your respective instructor. Any personal data contained here will be kept confidential. Data will only be used for qualitative data collection, and longitudinal calculation of overall cohort averages and trends.Go Play! Initiative New JerseyStudent 2nd, 3rd, 4th Quarterly Questionnaire

Students assigned ID #: ______________________ Date: __________

Quarter (circle) 2nd 3rd 4th

1. What are 2 health benefits that can be gained from increased physical exercise?

2. What are 2 daily activities or exercises that you have been doing this quarter, for a total of 60 minutes each day?

3. Now that you have begun to increase your activity level outside of school, can you please list any noticeably positive effects you have noticed, such as increased stamina or weight loss? Have you noticed any positive changes with your mood or your well-being, such as you feel happier or you just feel better about yourself?

Thank you for your participation. All participants will be represented by a random ID #, as assigned by your respective instructor. Any personal data contained here will be kept confidential. Data will only be used for longitudinal calculation of overall cohort averages and trends.Issues and Concerns

There are currently no physical activity requirements in New Jersey, only physical education requirements (RWJF, 2014). 22 states currently have minimum physical activity requirements. This creates an unfortunate hindrance for students that might not have access to outdoor space after the school day ends. Furthermore, New Jersey schools do not a shared-play agreement with their local municipalities within which the school is located (RWJF, 2014). This means that school grounds are technically off-limits to local children and students after the school day has officially ended; at Carusi this is at 5pm. It would be beneficial to investigate these laws and technicalities, and to try and implement a shared-user agreement so that more children would access to school grounds after their school day ends, and more importantly access to the ball fields and tracks that are designed specifically for play. Self-reporting of students could present a few issues, as this can be difficult to establish accurate longitudinal data, but this concern is secondary to the overall importance and promotion of increased physical activity. Simply having the conversation and having the students pro-actively track their own progress, is the most important focus of this initiative during the first stages. Our hope in tracking general long-term data is that our initiative might capture a return of student stamina and resiliency as noticed by their instructors and nurses. It would be suggested that more research and planning is necessary to facilitate a proper longitudinal tracking study. Part of our goal with this initiative was to put in place a backbone which can be used as an instrument for such studies.

Appendix A

References

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011) Strategies to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases: The CDC Guide to Strategies to Increase Physical Activity in the Community. Retrieved from web: http://stacks.cdc.gov /view/cdc/11994 (Accessed online March 1st, 2015)

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2013). One in Five Adults Meet Overall Physical Activity Guidelines. [Press Release]. Retrieved from web: http://www.cdc.gov/ media/releases/2013/p0502-physicalactivity.html (Accessed March 1st, 2015)

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2014),"State of Obesity in New Jersey." [Data File] Retrieved from web: http://stateofobesity.org/states/nj/ (Accessed March 2nd, 2015)

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), Prevalence and Trends Data, Overweight and Obesity (BMI). [Data File] Retrieved from web: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss /list.asp?cat=OB&yr=012&qkey=8261&state=All (Accessed March 1st, 2015).

Gavin, M. (2014) "Why Exercise Is Cool." Retrieved from web: http://kidshealth.org/kid/ stay_healthy/fit/work_it_out.html?tracking=K_RelatedArticle#(Accessed March 1st,2015)

U.S. Department of Agriculture (2015) "What is physical activity?" Retrieved from web: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity/what.html(Accessed March 2nd, 2015)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1999) General Physical Activities Defined by Level of Intensity [Data File] Retrieved from web: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/PA_Intensity_ table_2_1.pdf (Accessed March 3rd, 2015)

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014) "Physical Activity" Retrieved from web: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicalactivity/facts.htm (Accessed March 1st, 2015) 1

It can simply be def ined as movement of the body that

makes energy.

Rutgers Camden Nursing Students

Danielle Cox & Jeremy Bell

=

Go Play!

New Jersey

Resources

Gavin, M. (2014). "Why Exercise Is Cool." Retrieved from web: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/work_it_out.html?tracking=K_RelatedArticle# ( Accessed March 1st 2015) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1999) General Physical Activities Defined by Level of Intensity [Data File] Retrieved from web: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/PA_Intensity_ table_2_1.pdf (Accessed March 3rd, 2015) United States Department of Agriculture (2015) "What is physical activity?" Retrieved from web : fromhttp://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity/what.html ( Accessed March 2nd 2015) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014) "Physical Activity" Retrieved from web: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicalactivity/facts.htm ( Accessed March 1st 2015)

What is Physical Activity?

A Simple Guide to Physical

Activity

THE CDC SUGGESTS JUST 60

MINUTES OF PLAY EACH DAY

FOR KIDS AGES 6-17!

What are some ways to get the

suggested 60 minutes of play each

day? Physical activity doesnt have to

be hard or boring! Just get up and move! Choose something that you

enjoy!

o Go for a walk with friends, walk to

school, or even just walk your dog

o Ride your bike or go on a nature hike

o Go running, swimming, surfing, canoeing, or kayaking

o Play a sport you like with friends, or

join a school sports team

o Jump rope or jump on a trampoline

o Go roller-skating or roller-blading

o Go ice skating ,skiing, sledding, or snow boarding

o Go to your local YMCA & play

o Go bowling with friends or family

Why should you play for 60 minutes each day?

Physical Health Benefits: o Keeps your heart & lungs

healthy

o Helps keep your body a healthy

weight & helps reduce the risk

of obesity

o Helps reduce the risk of

diabetes, heart disease, & some

cancers

o Strengthens your bones &

muscles

Other benefits:

o Makes you feel good! Exercise

releases chemicals that make you

feel happier

o Helps reduce feelings of anxiety &

depression

o Improves focus in the classroom

& may help improve grades

HOW MUCH PHSYICAL ACITVITY DO YOU

NEED?

General Physical Activities Defined by Level of Intensity The following is in accordance with CDC and ACSM guidelines.

Moderate activity+

3.0 to 6.0 METs* (3.5 to 7 kcal/min)

Vigorous activity+

Greater than 6.0 METs* (more than 7 kcal/min)

Walking at a moderate or brisk pace of 3 to 4.5 mph on a level surface inside or outside, such as

Walking to class, work, or the store; Walking for pleasure; Walking the dog; or Walking as a break from work.

Walking downstairs or down a hill Racewalkingless than 5 mph Using crutches Hiking Roller skating or in-line skating at a leisurely pace

Racewalking and aerobic walking5 mph or faster Jogging or running Wheeling your wheelchair Walking and climbing briskly up a hill Backpacking Mountain climbing, rock climbing, rapelling Roller skating or in-line skating at a brisk pace

Bicycling 5 to 9 mph, level terrain, or with few hills Stationary bicyclingusing moderate effort

Bicycling more than 10 mph or bicycling on steep uphill terrain Stationary bicyclingusing vigorous effort

Aerobic dancinghigh impact Water aerobics

Aerobic dancinghigh impact Step aerobics Water jogging Teaching an aerobic dance class

Calisthenicslight Yoga Gymnastics General home exercises, light or moderate effort, getting up and down from the floor Jumping on a trampoline Using a stair climber machine at a light-to-moderate pace Using a rowing machinewith moderate effort

Calisthenicspush-ups, pull-ups, vigorous effort Karate, judo, tae kwon do, jujitsu Jumping rope Performing jumping jacks Using a stair climber machine at a fast pace Using a rowing machinewith vigorous effort Using an arm cycling machinewith vigorous effort

Weight training and bodybuilding using free weights, Nautilus- or Universal-type weights

Circuit weight training

Boxingpunching bag Boxingin the ring, sparring Wrestlingcompetitive

Ballroom dancing Line dancing Square dancing Folk dancing Modern dancing, disco Ballet

Professional ballroom dancingenergetically Square dancingenergetically Folk dancingenergetically Clogging

Table tenniscompetitive Tennisdoubles

Tennissingles Wheelchair tennis

Golf, wheeling or carrying clubs Softballfast pitch or slow pitch Basketballshooting baskets Coaching childrens or adults sports

Most competitive sports Football game Basketball game Wheelchair basketball Soccer Rugby Kickball Field or rollerblade hockey Lacrosse

Volleyballcompetitive Beach volleyballon sand court Playing Frisbee Juggling Curling Cricketbatting and bowling Badminton Archery (nonhunting) Fencing

Handballgeneral or team Racquetball Squash

Downhill skiingwith light effort Ice skating at a leisurely pace (9 mph or less) Snowmobiling Ice sailing

Downhill skiingracing or with vigorous effort Ice-skatingfast pace or speedskating Cross-country skiing Sledding Tobogganing Playing ice hockey

Swimmingrecreational Treading waterslowly, moderate effort Divingspringboard or platform Aquatic aerobics Waterskiing Snorkeling Surfing, board or body

Swimmingsteady paced laps Synchronized swimming Treading waterfast, vigorous effort Water jogging Water polo Water basketball Scuba diving

Canoeing or rowing a boat at less than 4 mph Raftingwhitewater Sailingrecreational or competition Paddle boating Kayakingon a lake, calm water Washing or waxing a powerboat or the hull of a sailboat

Canoeing or rowing4 or more mph Kayaking in whitewater rapids

Fishing while walking along a riverbank or while wading in a streamwearing waders

Hunting deer, large or small game Pheasant and grouse hunting Hunting with a bow and arrow or crossbowwalking

Horseback ridinggeneral Saddling or grooming a horse

Horsebackridingtrotting, galloping, jumping, or in competition Playing polo

Playing on school playground equipment, moving about, swinging, or climbing Playing hopscotch, 4-square, dodgeball, T-ball, or tetherball Skateboarding Roller-skating or in-line skatingleisurely pace

Running Skipping Jumping rope Performing jumping jacks Roller-skating or in-line skatingfast pace

Playing instruments while actively moving; playing in a marching band; playing guitar or drums in a rock band Twirling a baton in a marching band Singing while actively moving aboutas on stage or in church

Playing a heavy musical instrument while actively running in a marching band

Gardening and yard work: raking the lawn, bagging grass or leaves, digging, hoeing, light shoveling (less than 10 lbs per minute), or weeding while standing or bending Planting trees, trimming shrubs and trees, hauling branches, stacking wood Pushing a power lawn mower or tiller

Gardening and yard work: heavy or rapid shoveling (more than 10 lbs per minute), digging ditches, or carrying heavy loads Felling trees, carrying large logs, swinging an ax, hand-splitting logs, or climbing and trimming trees Pushing a nonmotorized lawn mower

Shoveling light snow Shoveling heavy snow Moderate housework: scrubbing the floor or Heavy housework: moving or pushing heavy

bathtub while on hands and knees, hanging laundry on a clothesline, sweeping an outdoor area, cleaning out the garage, washing windows, moving light furniture, packing or unpacking boxes, walking and putting household items away, carrying out heavy bags of trash or recyclables (e.g., glass, newspapers, and plastics), or carrying water or firewood General household tasks requiring considerable effort

furniture (75 lbs or more), carrying household items weighing 25 lbs or more up a flight or stairs, or shoveling coal into a stove Standing, walking, or walking down a flight of stairs while carrying objects weighing 50 lbs or more

Putting groceries awaywalking and carrying especially large or heavy items less than 50 lbs.

Carrying several heavy bags (25 lbs or more) of groceries at one time up a flight of stairs Grocery shopping while carrying young children and pushing a full grocery cart, or pushing two full grocery carts at once

Actively playing with childrenwalking, running, or climbing while playing with children Walking while carrying a child weighing less than 50 lbs Walking while pushing or pulling a child in a stroller or an adult in a wheelchair Carrying a child weighing less than 25 lbs up a flight of stairs Child care: handling uncooperative young children (e.g., chasing, dressing, lifting into car seat), or handling several young children at one time Bathing and dressing an adult

Vigorously playing with childrenrunning longer distances or playing strenuous games with children Racewalking or jogging while pushing a stroller designed for sport use Carrying an adult or a child weighing 25 lbs or more up a flight of stairs Standing or walking while carrying an adult or a child weighing 50 lbs or more

Animal care: shoveling grain, feeding farm animals, or grooming animals Playing with or training animals Manually milking cows or hooking cows up to milking machines

Animal care: forking bales of hay or straw, cleaning a barn or stables, or carrying animals weighing over 50 lbs Handling or carrying heavy animal-related equipment or tack

Home repair: cleaning gutters, caulking, refinishing furniture, sanding floors with a power sander, or laying or removing carpet or tiles General home construction work: roofing, painting inside or outside of the house, wall papering, scraping, plastering, or remodeling

Home repair or construction: very hard physical labor, standing or walking while carrying heavy loads of 50 lbs or more, taking loads of 25 lbs or more up a flight of stairs or ladder (e.g., carrying roofing materials onto the roof), or concrete or masonry work

Outdoor carpentry, sawing wood with a power saw

Hand-sawing hardwoods

Automobile bodywork Hand washing and waxing a car

Pushing a disabled car

~Occupations that require extended periods of walking, pushing or pulling objects weighing les than 75 lbs, standing while lifting objects weighing less than 50 lbs, or carrying objects of less than 25 lbs up a flight of stairs Tasks frequently requiring moderate effort and considerable use of arms, legs, or occasional total body movements. For example:

Briskly walking on a level surface while carrying a suitcase or load weighing up to 50 lbs

Maid service or cleaning services

~Occupations that require extensive periods of running, rapid movement, pushing or pulling objects weighing 75 lbs or more, standing while lifting heavy objects of 50 lbs or more, walking while carrying heavy objects of 25 lbs or more Tasks frequently requiring strenuous effort and extensive total body movements. For example:

Running up a flight of stairs while carrying a suitcase or load weighing 25 lbs or more

Teaching a class or skill requiring

Waiting tables or institutional dishwashing

Driving or maneuvering heavy vehicles (e.g., semi-truck, school bus, tractor, or harvester)not fully automated and requiring extensive use of arms and legs

Operating heavy power tools (e.g., drills and jackhammers)

Many homebuilding tasks (e.g. electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, dry wall, and painting)

Farmingfeeding and grooming animals, milking cows, shoveling grain; picking fruit from trees, or picking vegetables

Packing boxes for shipping or moving Assembly-line worktasks requiring

movement of the entire body, arms or legs with moderate effort

Mail carrierswalking while carrying a mailbag

Patient carebathing, dressing, and moving patients or physical therapy

active and strenuous participation, such as aerobics or physical education instructor

Firefighting Masonry and heavy construction work Coal mining Manually shoveling or digging ditches Using heavy nonpowered tools Most forestry work Farmingforking straw, baling hay,

cleaning barn, or poultry work Moving items professionally Loading and unloading a truck

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. Promoting physical activity: a guide for community action. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1999. (Table adapted from Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Leon AS, et al. Compendium of physical activities: classification of energy costs of human physical activities. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 1993;25(1):71-80. Adapted with technical assistance from Dr. Barbara Ainsworth.)

* The ratio of exercise metabolic rate. One MET is defined as the energy expenditure for sitting quietly, which, for the average adult, approximates 3.5 ml of oxygen uptake per kilogram of body weight per minute (1.2 kcal/min for a 70-kg individual). For example, a 2-MET activity requires two times the metabolic energy expenditure of sitting quietly. + For an average person, defined here as 70 kilograms or 154 pounds. The activity intensity levels portrayed in this chart are most applicable to men aged 30 to 50 years and women aged 20 to 40 years. For older individuals, the classification of activity intensity might be higher. For example, what is moderate intensity to a 40-year-old man might be vigorous for a man in his 70s. Intensity is a subjective classification. Data for this chart were available only for adults. Therefore, when childrens games are listed, the estimated intensity level is for adults participating in childrens activities. To compute the amount of time needed to accumulate 150 kcal, do the following calculation: 150 kcal divided by the MET level of the activity equals the minutes needed to expend 150 kcal. For example:

150 )3 METS = 50 minutes of participation. Generally, activities in the moderate-intensity range require 25-50 minutes to expend a moderate amount of activity, and activities in the vigorous-intensity range would require less than 25 minutes to achieve a moderate amount of activity. Each activity listed is categorized as light, moderate, or vigorous on the basis of current knowledge of the overall level of intensity required for the average person to engage in it, taking into account brief periods when the level of intensity required for the activity might increase or decrease considerably. Persons with disabilities, including motor function limitations (e.g., quadriplegia) may wish to consult with an exercise physiologist or physical therapist to properly classify the types of physical activities in which they might participate, including assisted exercise. Certain activities classified in this listing as moderate might be vigorous for persons who must overcome physical challenges or disabilities.

~Note: Almost every occupation requires some mix of light, moderate, or vigorous activities, depending on the task at hand. To categorize the activity level of your own position, ask yourself: How many minutes each working day do I spend doing the types of activities described as light, moderate, or vigorous? To arrive at a total workday caloric expenditure, multiply the minutes spent doing activities within each intensity level by the kilocalories corresponding to each level of intensity. Then, add together the total kilocalories spent doing light, moderate, and vigorous activities to arrive at your total energy expenditure in a typical day.

Moderate activity+Vigorous activity+