01
10/2/09
11:58
Page 1
Sport and fitness for today’s youth
Key groups ‘can’t condone fitness craze’ By Lyndsey Smith TWO key organisations have distanced themselves from a fitness craze that encourages young people to jump over everyday obstacles such as walls, park benches and litter bins. Parkour and similar free-running schemes are seen by many teenagers as cool and trendy because they have featured in music videos and films. And while some forms are done indoors with proper safety procedures in place, others are simply done on streets, raising concerns participants could easily injure themselves. The Association for Physical Education and British Gymnastics say they can’t condone them until safety concerns are addressed – and a proper governing body to regulate the activity is put in place. Glen Beaumont, health and safety officer for afPE, added: “As an organisation primarily concerned with safety guidance relating to physical activity within education, we see the urban activity as essentially gymnastic activity on concrete and you wouldn’t find a gymnast performing without safety mats. “The introduction of an increasing number of schemes and initiatives
seeking to introduce and progress parkour in educational provision has prompted our involvement.” Glen stressed it was purely the outdoor elements of the activity they could not support: “We can support parkour related activity indoors but not purist parkour. I had an initial enquiry about this subject from a PE advisor who had a group coming to deliver parkour in an indoor after school club. “We had no problems with that whatsoever – the guy taking the sessions was a level three gymnastic coach - and there were no safety issues. “However we are aware that outdoor activity is happening in some schools maybe from the kids’ own initiatives, maybe not, but we know it is happening, and in the absence of an advisory body we can’t condone it as we are very concerned that it is not regulated.” Both organisations say they will review their stance if an NGB is set up and if specially constructed facilities are built. Glen added: “It is a stalemate but there is a glimmer of hope. We can’t go beyond indoor provision at the moment but I have seen a couple of plans for specialist facilities, purpose built parks with safety surfaces and if this happens we will look at the situation again.”
March 2009 £2.75
PE ‘doesn’t help kids lose weight’
Strictly Come Dancing stars Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova have launched a new programme to teach Latin and ballroom dancing in schools. Essentially Dance will be run along with Darren’s brother Dale Bennett – director of dance studio City Limits – and PE expert Sue Cooper, a former school sports partnership development manager. The scheme is being piloted in 30 primary and secondary schools and will be rolled out across the country in time for the new school year in September. Full story: Page 3
A NEW review published by the Cochrane Library has suggested that while PE lessons are good for overall fitness levels they actually do nothing to help children lose weight. A review of 26 studies of different PE programmes across Europe, Australia, South America and North America, found they had little effect on children’s weight, or the amount of sport played outside of school. However, classes did help lower cholesterol levels and increased fitness and lung capacity, but teaching families to eat more healthily and take more exercise were more relevant in helping children become slimmer. Researchers warned the reason games lessons were ineffective might be because children disliked them and Maureen Dobbins, lead researcher at the school of nursing, McMaster University, Ontario, said: “PE classes may be too closely associated with school work. Perhaps the key is to promote physical activity by getting children and adolescents to play in ways that promote better fitness levels, while at the same time represent fun and adventurous activities.”