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Fitness Challenge

In 2008 the Commonwealth Department of Health has set itself the target of dealing with the epidemic of obesity amongst children.

A noble objective, but obesity is just another symptom of metabolic dysfunction.

The underlying problem is not fatness, it's fitness. When children are physically fit there is a high likelihood that they'll be close to their ideal weight.

The partners of the Australian PhysEd Network are committed to assisting schools to improve the fitness levels of their students.

In its most recent biennial report the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said that 'the health of Australians is getting better.'

Well of course that's hard to believe. Just look around you. You know it's getting worse. The escalating national medical bill confirms it.

And the decline in health standards is starting with children who are increasingly becoming attached to the sedentary way of life, the only exercise for many being fingers manipulating Biros and buttons.

The reasons are many and varied - among them the ascendancy of the thought that training children for careers involving highly developed skills in mathematics and literature is more important that graduating from schools children and youth who are fit, healthy, happy, and equipped with all manner of skills to successfully make their way through life.

However, an improved health status is not the only reason to involve all school children and adolescents in a regular and systematic daily physical education program.

For starters being physically active is a part of life that's important to the normal healthy development of children (and adults). Deprive them of it and they inexorably take the path toward metabolic, musculo-skeletal and psychological dysfunction.

In children the symptoms of lack of physical activity show up as inattention and anti-social behaviour - as well as bulging girths.

Then, if children aren't taught a range of physical skills they can't successfully involve themselves in a recreational and sporting activities - whether as children or adults. In effect they become sensorally deprived, destined to lives of isolation, sitting in chairs pushing buttons.

There are a number of different intelligences - mathematical, literary, musical, physical visual/artistic ... To deprive children of the experiences that develop this broad spread of intelligences deprives them of a basic right and sends them out into the world with potential undiscovered and untapped.

That's why we recommend and support the daily physical education movement - an hour a day for all children (K-12), during school time when children can be taught and have the time to practice a wide range of physical activities.

OUR AIM

The Australian PhysEd Network aims to

 

1.	advocate for physical education to have a rightful place in the school curriculum
2.	run professional development programs, seminars and conferences designed to support teachers in their quest to provide students with varied and interesting PhysEd programs
3.	encourage teachers to keep themselves fit and healthy - on the premise that healthy schools have healthy teachers as well as healthy students.
4.	conduct PhysEd lessons in schools
5.	Through the PhysEd Network Bookstore (coming) distribute a wide range of PhysEd resources sourced from around the world
6.	Publish a number of email newsletters for different segments of the PhysEd market
7.	provide useful information about PhysEd and physical activity generally.

RESOURCES

A unique feature of the Australian PhysEd Network is our intention to provide teachers with a wide range of resources from around the world and available through our bookstore (coming).

NEWSLETTERS

The PhysEd Network newsletter is a periodic email newsletter containing a range of news, views, announcements and teaching tips.

OUR LESSONS

The Australian PhysEd Network is part of the Australia-wide Triskills organisation which provides schools with physical education programs. Our staff come to your school and provide lessons in games skills, dance and gymnastics.

OUR PARTNERS

We're a network designed bring to schools a range of products and service that assist teachers to enhance the delivery of PhysEd and sport programs for all students - to inspire and motivate students to keep themselves fit and healthy to the best of their ability.