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©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 1

Pedometers 101

Everything PE teachers want to know aboutpedometers and using them with your students.

Melinda Bossenmeyer, Ed.D.

Peaceful Playgrounds Inc.

877-444-9888

Los Angeles, CA


Healthy, Well and Wise CurriculumMore on our Program Later

• Wellness Program using pedometers

• Emphasizing Childhood Obesity Prevention Strategies

– Nutrition Education

– Physical Activity Education

– 8 weekly lessons and materials

– 16 weeks maintenance materials


U.S. Surgeon General

• We have a health crisis affecting every city,state, community and school across America.The crisis is obesity. Obesity is the fastestgrowing cause of disease and death in America.

• Completely Preventable!!

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Healthy Schools Campaign 2004

• Experts agree:

• Key strategy for tackling childhood obesity is“start with schools”.


Concerned Childhood Obesity

• AMA - Obesity is largest emerging health issuefacing our nation.

• National School Board - Serious Health Problem


We’re Talking Serious……….

• The TwentySomething's are thefirst generation thatare predicted to havea shorter lifespanthan their parents.

• We need to takeaction.

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Pedometers: “Themovement tool for all”?

• Important tool in measuring physical activity.

• Easy, inexpensive, available.

• Provide awareness of activity targets andprogress toward targets.


What works?

• Research on Walking/Pedometer Programs1. Awareness-Explain the benefits of walking.

2. Flexible Walking-home, school, recess.3. Individual Goal Setting.

4. Regular Contact with coordinator (teacher).5. Minimal expense and training needed (single function

pedometers).6. 8 week program (4 weeks goal setting, 4 weeks self

monitoring with consulting support).

– President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports 2002


Activity Break #1“Gotta Run”

• Weekly Chants– Don’t Sit. Get Fit.

• One lap. No sweat.• Two laps. Better yet.

• Three laps. Can do.• Four laps. Nothing new.

• Five laps. Warming up.• Six laps. Yep. Yep.

• Seven laps. Almost done.• Eight laps. Got to run!

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Stepping it up.

12,300-13,989

Boys12 years

10,479-11,274

Girls12 years

12, 000-16,000

Boys and Girls8-10 years

Step RangeGenderAge Range

Chart for Active Children


Stepping it up.

3,500-5,500

Boys andGirls

8-12 years

Step RangeGenderAge Range

Chart for Sedentary Children


Realistic Goal Setting for Kids

• Add 10% a week.

• If you start with 10,000 steps (adult goodhealth target), you may burn out sedentarykids.

• Make it “Fun”.

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Goal Setting Active Kids

• Increase steps by 10% each week

• Example

• 12,000 steps baseline week one

• 13,200 steps week two

• 14,520 steps week three


Goal Setting

• Aim for 6000 steps a day in the beginning

• Increase goal by 10% each week

• Sedentary Kids Start

• Week 1 = 6000

• Week 2 = 6,600

• Week 3 = 7,200


Teach kids-Management Issues

• “You shake it. I take it.”

• “You shake it. I reset it.”

“The ones I have are hard to put on, especially on sweats. Also, my kidsfiddle with them all the time even though it is one of my rules not to. I usethem, but, while informative, they are also a lot of work.”

Put on back of waist band. Hard to shake. Lori Dusek PE Talk

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Steps to Mile Conversion

I use the “steps only” model.

• 600 steps = 1/4 mile

• 1200 steps = 1/2 mile

• 1800 steps = 3/4 mile

• 2400 steps = 1 mile.

This is a very generous average over 2-5th grades.

(Physical Activity vs Absolute Mathematics)


Fun Activities Include:

• Activity Logs-visually see progress

• Web walking programs– American Discovery Trail

http://www.discoverytrail.org/


Fun Activities

• http://www.creativewalking.com/pedometer.html#stepping• Robert Sweetgall's 28 Million Footstep Walk Across America Challenge Poster

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Fun Activities

• http://www.peclogit.org/logit.asp

• PE Central and NEW LIFESTYLES welcomes you to LOG IT - the program

that allows elementary-aged students to log their individual physical activity

steps & miles online. Students can walk across the USA with their classmates

along with other fun features.


Log Sites

• Get Active, Stay Active Website– http://www.getactivestayactive.com/

– Electronic portfolio and participation in Presidents Challenge– .


Fun Activities

Love the idea of a Wellness Day. We had one once called, Walking for

wellness. We had a sports hero come in to warm up the kids with exercise

and games. Then he gave a motivation speaker afterwards. We had the Red

Cross, AHA, the local hospital, and other community based organizations

come in and set up informational booths for parents and students. One

booth was about the effects and triggers of asthma. We walked with our

pedometers and had student logs/journal their personal

fitness parameters. Parents, staff, administrators, community leaders all

came to walk with us. It was a great day, and brought awareness to the

need to be a well person.

Combine with Jump for Heart???

Scott Tomassetti

pe1.org

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Perimeter Walk

• If you have large grounds, develop a perimeter walk.You only need 1 or 2 pedometers and set them onsteps. Alternate who uses the pedometers. Keeptrack of the steps.

• Rudy Hewitt


Fun Family Activities

• America on the Move• http://www.americaonthemove.org/LearnMore.asp


Math Challenges

Math Challenges• Have them each keep a log of the number of steps they take and time of

exercise.

• Students can compare the average number of steps and types of exercise.Compare the time of exercise to number of steps.

• Average number of steps by the class as opposed to the individual.

• If you use a chart, or better yet, an excel sheet you could almost set it up asan integrated math lesson. Scott Tonassettu, PE Talk

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Pedometer Positioning

• Typical

– Tight waistband for accurate counts

– Flag football belt

– Sock-tight to register movement (no kicking)

• Obese

– waistband in line with the armpit first

– a position on the waistband in line with the backbone

– Lifestyle Pedometers Teresa Vollnweider


Pedometer Teacher Testimony

“Just yesterday my class of second

graders didn't want to stop ‘running’”.

We did a pre-test 1/4 mile run and immediately we checked thenumber of steps. The children want to keep running. Somewhatof a novelty these days to have children say "we want to keep

running".

I was pleased.

Pe Talk entry


Storage

• Tackle box

• Ice cube tray

• Sewing box thread– Number pedometers

– Number slots in box• (Assign numbers) Stand or line up number.

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Which pedometer?

• "What makes some pedometers more expensive than others?

• "Is it the internal mechanism?”

• “The cost is not in functions or features. The cost has to do with engineering and parts.”

The Digiwalker pedometer uses a coiled spring (a spring that

looks much like a very little "Slinky"). Coiled springs are more durable

than hair springs, and therefore, the pedometer's counting

mechanism will outlast a pedometer that uses a hair spring.

Coiled spring Pedometers $18-25

Hairspring Pedometers $ 9-12 (less without cover)


Pedometer Quality

• “You get what you pay for.”– Melinda’s Recommendations

• Accusplit

• Walk for Life

• Digi Walker

“FOR CHEAP PEDOMETERS YOU’LL PAY THE PRICE!”

****security straps or DIGI-ties


Pedometer Quality Problems

• Cheap Pedometers: What makes them cheap?

• Upside down numbers

• No protective cover to prevent wipe-outs

• Short-life batteries

• Hard to change batteries

• Inaccuracy and non-reliable internal mechanisms

• Clips break

• Not Kid Proof (Multiple users. Multiple use.)

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PE Class Activity Targets

PE Activity Level Chart

• 0-499 Not very active

• 500-999 Somewhat active

• 1000-1499 Active

• 1500 and up Highly active

• Students check levels after every class when they put them away.

• Todd Keating PE Talk


Thomas Jefferson

"I will arrange the books to be read into three columns, andpropose that you should read those in the first column till 12.o'clock every day: those in the 2d. from 12. To 2. those in the3d. after candlelight, leaving all the afternoon for exercise andrecreation, which are as necessary as reading: I will rather saymore necessary, because health is worth more than learning."Thomas Jefferson


Activity Break Chant #2 “Never stop”

• We never stop.

• We never quit.

• Because we want.

• To be real Fit.

• 1-2-3-4

• I just want to run some more.

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We Count Components

• Teacher Manual

• CD of Materials

• Weekly StudentNewsletters

• Weekly ParentNewsletters

• Pedometers

• Motivational Materials



When Bigger is not Better.

• Weekly Student andParent Newsletters– Nutrition Concepts

– Physical ActivityConcepts

EDUCATE-Kids Can BeTaught to Make HealthyChoices.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute‘05

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Sign up at www.peacefulplaygrounds.com


Parent Newsletter

• Parent Newsletter– Reinforces concepts

learned at school

– Some suggestions forfamily action


Weekly themes

• Physical Activity– Walking Basics

– Physical Activity vsCalories

– How Many Steps?

– Benefits of PhysicalActivity

• Nutrition– When Bigger is not

Better-Portion Sizes

– Good Nutrition

– Dietary Guidelines

– Eat Smart. Play Hard.

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All the regular stuff to track steps

• Tracking Tools

• Stickers• Certificates

• Bulletin Board• Step Logs

• Bench Mark Chart

• Site License-Single SchoolSite


WE Count

• Wellness Curriculum

PLUS Motivational

Pedometer Program materials


Chant #3 “Everywhere I go.”

• Everywhere I go.

• People want to know.

• Who we are.

• So we tell them.

• We are the fit kids.

• Mighty, mighty fit kids.

• We shout. We say.

• Don’t Sit. Get Fit!!!

Pick up your free

“Don’t sit. Get fit.”bracelet on the wayout.

we count wkspnyc7 · ¥we have a health crisis affecting every city, state, community and school...

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