1
©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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 2
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 3
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!!
2
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 4
Healthy Schools Campaign 2004
• Experts agree:
• Key strategy for tackling childhood obesity is“start with schools”.
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 5
Concerned Childhood Obesity
• AMA - Obesity is largest emerging health issuefacing our nation.
• National School Board - Serious Health Problem
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 6
We’re Talking Serious……….
• The TwentySomething's are thefirst generation thatare predicted to havea shorter lifespanthan their parents.
• We need to takeaction.
3
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 7
Pedometers: “Themovement tool for all”?
• Important tool in measuring physical activity.
• Easy, inexpensive, available.
• Provide awareness of activity targets andprogress toward targets.
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 8
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 9
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!
4
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 10
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 11
Stepping it up.
3,500-5,500
Boys andGirls
8-12 years
Step RangeGenderAge Range
Chart for Sedentary Children
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 12
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”.
5
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 13
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 14
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 15
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
6
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 16
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)
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 17
Fun Activities Include:
• Activity Logs-visually see progress
• Web walking programs– American Discovery Trail
http://www.discoverytrail.org/
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 18
Fun Activities
• http://www.creativewalking.com/pedometer.html#stepping• Robert Sweetgall's 28 Million Footstep Walk Across America Challenge Poster
7
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 19
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.
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 20
Log Sites
• Get Active, Stay Active Website– http://www.getactivestayactive.com/
– Electronic portfolio and participation in Presidents Challenge– .
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 21
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
8
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 22
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 23
Fun Family Activities
• America on the Move• http://www.americaonthemove.org/LearnMore.asp
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 24
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
9
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 25
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 26
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 27
Storage
• Tackle box
• Ice cube tray
• Sewing box thread– Number pedometers
– Number slots in box• (Assign numbers) Stand or line up number.
10
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 28
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)
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 29
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 30
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.)
11
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 31
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 32
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
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 33
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.
12
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 34
We Count Components
• Teacher Manual
• CD of Materials
• Weekly StudentNewsletters
• Weekly ParentNewsletters
• Pedometers
• Motivational Materials
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 35
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 36
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
13
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 37
Sign up at www.peacefulplaygrounds.com
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 38
Parent Newsletter
• Parent Newsletter– Reinforces concepts
learned at school
– Some suggestions forfamily action
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 39
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.
14
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 40
All the regular stuff to track steps
• Tracking Tools
• Stickers• Certificates
• Bulletin Board• Step Logs
• Bench Mark Chart
• Site License-Single SchoolSite
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 41
WE Count
• Wellness Curriculum
PLUS Motivational
Pedometer Program materials
©Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.™ 2005 42
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.