Students getting more workouts this year

Draytonville Elementary School fifth graders Logan Scoggins, Diamond Bell (center) and Spencer Lee do a 5-minute exercise routine Friday as part of a new classroom fitness program in county elementary schools. Techno music pulses in the background Friday morning as Draytonville Elementary School students begin punching across their bodies and squeezing an invisible ball.

The students spread out beside their desks for five minutes of exercise in the middle of a lesson taught by fifth grade teacher Laura Martin.

The teacher dims the lights and puts in a video from a "Fit for Fred" web site that has 5- minute workout routines for elementary school students.

From air jump roping to jogging in place, the Draytonville Elementary students keep moving around until the video ends. The students return to their desk five minutes later and start a spelling lesson.

Martin and other county elementary teachers will have regular exercise breaks as part of a districtwide classroom fitness program this school year.

"We are incorporating physical fitness within the classroom on the elementary level," Draytonville Elementary physical education teacher Marc Camp said. "Teachers will have three 5-minute breaks where their students will be able to move around in the classroom. We hope this will help students do better academically."

The classroom fitness programs are part of the Cherokee County School District effort to meet the 2005 South Carolina Health and Fitness Act. The act requires teachers to have 90 minutes of physical education classes and find time for another 90 minutes of fitness activity throughout the week.

B.D. Lee Elementary physical education teacher Debbie Parker has done lessons on badminton, bowling and lacrosse in recent years to whet students' appetites for trying new sports outside of school.

"Our teachers are doing a lot of things in class so students will be more active this year," Parker said. "A teacher might have students do jumping jacks while spelling words or work on their multiplication tables while kick boxing with their elbows. Students have to concentrate academically and move around."

The school fitness law is focused on encouraging elementary students to become more active. The idea is children will develop healthy habits that will continue as they become older.

The rate for overweight adolescents ages 12 to 19 tripled from 5 percent in 1980 to 15 percent in 2000, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. An estimated 25.6 percent of U.S. adults reported being obese in 2007, compared to 23.9 percent in 2005

Parker said she believes more fitness activity in schools will help students be more healthy and do better in school.

"If a teacher sees students are daydreaming and not paying attention in class, the teacher can stop the lesson and have students move around for five minutes," Parker said. "Students minds are often sharper after they have spent time exercising."