2013 CrossFit Games Regional Event 6
For time:
100 Double-unders
50 Handstand push-ups
40 Toes-to-bar
160 pound Shoulder to overhead, 30 reps
90 foot Walking lunge with 160 pound barbell in front rack
A Physical Education in Naperville
Naperville Central teachers believe exercise will get kids fit and improve their learning and academics. They put this belief to the test when they took kids who struggled in reading and math and started their day with exercise.
For these kids, their day started at 7:45am in the gym and followed with the two classes in which they struggled the most.
Before you judge the ellipticals and type of exercise (I did, just a little bit:) realize that any form of exercise is more beneficial than no exercise at all. And sure, a CrossFit-type exercise program might offer them even more benefits but the same concepts apply.
In the six years since the program began, the results have been staggering. On average, kids who signed up for the program read 1/2 year ahead of those who opted out. In math, kids in the program improved 2-4x more than their peers on standardized tests.
Does your kids have PE in school? Post to comments.
Hey! That was my high school! At least when I was there (’96-’00) we had really good PE (Illinois required PE every semester of school). First semester was a fitness class that talked about nutrition and strength training and cardio and emphasized education and lifetime fitness in addition to just doing gym. After that we changed classes every 4 weeks (constantly varied?) – dance, gymnastics, swimming, various sports, weight training, cardio, etc. And most of our PE teachers were pretty awesome.
And, really, CrossFit is just one good way to get exercise. I think one of the best things about the system when I was there was that you got to try lots of different types of activities and hopefully find something you liked and would keep doing.
As an educator, I am in full support of athletics in school, and the research is pretty clear about the effects of a rigorous athletic program on academic performance. Nutrition is another important component, and I applauded my principal when she decided to get rid of the vending machines–the crap was not helpful for focusing and excelling. I recall stopping a kid with a bag of pork rinds in the hallway and asked her to read aloud the ingredients. Her response was “Aw man, now I can’t this stuff! Thanks a lot, Ms. Arya!!” I kindly smiled and said, “You’re welcome.”
“…and anyone who couldn’t keep up was a real square.” :