PSU hosts Kansas Kids Fitness Day Thursday

  Thursday, May 1, 2014 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

If their energy could be harnessed, the 1,100 third graders running, jumping and playing in Carnie Smith Stadium Thursday could probably have powered a small city.

Pittsburg State University’s Department of Health, Human Performance and Fitness (HHPR) hosted students from Crawford and Cherokee counties for the annual Kansas Kids Fitness Day, an event designed to reinforce the concept of physical activity as a key to a long and healthy life.

Shelly Grimes, coordinator at the event, held this year in Carnie Smith Stadium on Thursday, May 1, said the statewide activity, hosted at sites across Kansas, reminds students to be active every day.

“All of the research tells us that healthy students are better learners,” Grimes said. “We also know that activity patterns and eating habits are set early in life, so teaching elementary school children about the importance of diet and exercise is absolutely critical if we expect them to grow up to be healthy adults.”

Grimes said scores of PSU physical education and recreation majors ran the various stations at which the third graders will perform fun, high-energy activities.

“It’s a good learning experience for the PSU students, many who will soon be working with children daily,” Grimes said.