Radnor Teacher's Classroom Exercise Adopted by NBA FIT Program

As far as Wayne Elementary teach Brock Tracy figures, a student’s physical activity does not have to be limited to a once a day physical education class or short recess. He has developed a menu of stretching and movement exercises to get the kids’ juices flowing and invigorate the senses.

Tracy’s ideas have proven to successfully augment the students’ classroom and test-taking performances, enough to prompt the National Basketball Association to adopt his methods into its FIT program, a national initiative to help keep kids healthy.

Brock’s article “Classroom Exercise Breaks for Elementary Students,” originally published on KidsHealth.org, caught the NBA’s attention and it has now become part of a K-5 classroom activity being used in 100 New York City schools.

Tracy’s article provides a set of exercises, ranging from moderate to light, that a classroom teacher can do with his or her students right there at their desks.

Fans at the NBA All Star Game in February were given information about the FIT program, which included a poster with descriptions of various exercises, some from Tracy’s article. His article was also featured in a recent issue of “National Education Association Today” magazine.

“The idea was to have easy-to-do, limited space, yet effective movement that teachers could do on the spot,” said Tracy, who has been regularly using his techniques with students in his wellness classes.

The article draws from research showing how exercise and energy breaks in the classroom have a direct impact on academic and behavioral improvement. The exercises include sky reaches, squats, hand pushes, frog jumps and desk push-ups. A video of Tracy performing a three-minute routine that guides viewers through the exercises is available for all WES teachers to use in their classrooms if they wish.

“I think it’s important for kids to have a moment to refocus, reset and take a deep breath to get ready for what’s coming,” WES principal Nancy Ferguson said. “It’s a life skill to be able to listen to your body.”

Ferguson has been a proponent of keeping fit in the classroom since her days as a teacher. When she taught eighth-grade, she started each class with stretches to help the students reduce tension and get them primed for learning.

KidsHealth.org is a national and highly respected health website for children and adolescents. It is managed by Nemours DuPont Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, Del., and is an educational partner of the NBA. The NBA FIT project is the league’s comprehensive health and wellness program that encourages physical activity and healthy living for children and families.

Photo: Brock Tracy explains an activity to a first-grade wellness class.