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ACES day is just one way to get kids excited about physical activity, but it’s important to motivate them to be active every day. Here are some ideas to encourage physical activity throughout the year:

Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School is an international movement-and now a federal program- that exists to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school. In order to achieve this goal, the program directs initiatives to make these modes of transportation safer and more appealing alternatives, encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age. The program facilitates the planning, development and implementation of projects that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.

Interested in starting Safe Routes to School in your area? The best way to begin a Safe Routes to School program is to first attend a free training hosted by the Michigan Fitness Foundation. Trainees receive a copy of the Safe Routes to School Handbook and guidance on how to complete each of the program’s five modules. Visit www.saferoutesmichigan.org for details and up-to-date training information.

Walk to School Day
Another way to make ACES last all year is to start a Walk to School Day event in your school district. Walk to School Day is an is an international event facilitated by the Michigan Fitness Foundation, Michigan Department of Community Health, and the Michigan Department of Transportation. The next Walk to School Day is Wednesday, October 6, 2010, but the event can be held any day of the year.

Please join in the effort to promote walking to school as a way to provide an opportunity for even more physical activity! Click here for more details on Walk to School Day, as well as information on how to register your school.

Families in Training
Another great way to keep students active all year is available in a program called “Families in Training.” With this package, students and their families track their physical activity and add it to the school’s overall tally. Its goal is to inspire families to participate in more physical activity and spend more time together. If your school is interested in “Families in Training,” call Fitness Finders at 517-750-1500 or visit http://www.fitnessfinders.net/

Feelin’ Good Mileage Club
This lunch-time walking program can motivate your students to use their midday break wisely. Since 1986, many Michigan schools have used this incentive-based walking program. For more information, call Fitness Finders at 517-750-1500 or visit http://www.fitnessfinders.net/

All School Walks
On ACES day, assign a group of children the task of measuring the distance around your building or playground that could easily be used as a walking path. Just as ACES takes place the first Wednesday in May, make the first Wednesday of every month an All School Walk and invite families to come to the school in the evening to enjoy some physical activity. If the snow isn’t too deep, this activity can still be done during the winter months. They’ll just have to wear their boots instead of their tennis shoes!

Other Activities
The following activities are part of the “All Communities Exercise” Coordinators Kit from the Texas Physical Activity Network and the Texas Department of Health.

« Aerobic Musical Chairs—Set up a circle of chairs and form a group that has one more person than chairs. Each time someone is eliminated from the game a chair is removed, but the chairs are not moved closer together as the group diminishes to increase activity.

« Simon Says Aerobics—An experienced instructor leads students through an aerobics class using traditional “Simon Says” rules with one exception. Those eliminated because they didn’t follow the leader must still participate, they just won’t win.

« Parks and Recreation Day—Have your local Parks and Recreation Department lead a participatory demonstration of all their summer leagues and classes-from karate to gymnastics to basketball to ballet.

« Fitness Obstacle Course—Design a path where students jump rope, lift light dumbbells, run over tires, do jumping jacks, climb stairs, shoot baskets and throw footballs.

« Mini-Fitness Trail—Set up a walking trail within or around your school. Measure and mark your mileage in feet or yards and include a stretching station at the beginning and end of the trail.

« Dash for Trash—Organize groups of students and equip them with garbage bags and rubber gloves. Send them on pre-planned routes throughout the community to pick up trash and debris.

« History Walk—Invite your local tourism council to lead a walk through your community’s historic district. Stops at interesting homes, monuments, cemeteries and museums will teach students about their hometown while getting their exercise.