Foundational motor abilities (FMAs) provide a foundational building block for the development of nearly every physical skill. A key component of this foundation is perceptual motor skills, which enable children to explore their physical environment with their senses and provide motor output. Base functional strength and power, as well as postural stability and mobility, are…
This time of year signals the advent of cold weather in many areas of the country. During a typical winter, it is not uncommon to hear about cardiac-related deaths linked to physical exertion—namely snow shoveling. What is it about the combination of cold weather and physical exertion that places a person at risk for a…
Just like the ABCs of a language, there are the ABCs of physical activity. Â The fundamental movement skills that make up the ABCs of physical activity can be broken down into three categories: 1. Locomotor skills: Running, jumping, hopping and skipping 2. Object-control skills: Catching, throwing, kicking and bouncing 3. Stability skills: Balancing, twisting, rotation…
Eight-year-old Marcus lives in the city. Surrounded by busy streets and unpredictable strangers, “outside” has become an unsafe place to play. Not having the athletic predisposition to compete and enjoy sports, Marcus has gravitated away from youth sports leagues, and his grade school has been forced to cut their physical education program due to lack…
Physically confident and competent children are active for life, but far too many of America’s youth are physically inactive. Health and fitness professionals are in a great position to help kids become more physically active and, as a result, more physically literate. To begin, consider how academic literacy is developed. Through the process of neural…
Three years ago, I began providing private mindfulness meditation sessions to a young man who was on the road to recovery from what had been a mysterious and difficult-to-diagnose illness. In fact, it took the collaborative efforts of physicians from a variety of specialties over an 18-month period to determine the root cause of what…
I want to… Lose weight. Tone up. Eat better. Build muscle. If you’re a health and exercise professional, you undoubtedly hear these loosely defined goal statements (or versions of them) from new clients. It makes sense. Consumers come to us to “fix” something physical about them. While you, as the professional, have all the knowledge,…
ACE Advocacy and Outreach  Financially supporting your children is part of the imaginary contract you sign when you become a parent, but we all know this can be a struggle for a lot of families. Unfortunately, tight family budgets can make it difficult to pay for the extracurricular activities kids want to participate in, like youth sport…
Regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence is important for motor development and overall health and fitness. Additionally, solid physical activity behaviors in the early years can help to set a foundation for life-long exercise adherence and an appreciation for physical activity. Unfortunately, most kids are not getting enough exercise. In 2016, only 21.6% of…
Last Updated November 17, 2023 (originally published January 11, 2022)Â The past few years have seen a dramatic shift in how, when and where people work, as many employers loosened the rules on who could work from home. Many employees are continually refining workspaces that blur the lines between home, career, life and family. And,…