of the day is to have all students in all schools participating in some form of physical activity. The objective is to make students aware of the importance of regular physical exercise to establish a healthy life-style.

Many students are not aware that keeping the body fit and healthy helps to keep their minds active. Research has shown that students who engage in regular physical programmes improve listening skills, muscle control, hand eye co-ordination, self discipline and concentration. This has resulted in improved school achievement.

It is hoped that Bermuda Fitness Awareness Day will highlight the need for fitness programmes and focus on developing lifelong fitness habits. The schools have been encouraged to have activities that the whole school community can become involved in.

Some schools have already become aware of the desperate need for activities that educate all students to keep themselves fit. At one school, very early each morning before school starts the children have the opportunity to walk, jog, or run round a kilometre marked course. They become members of the Kilometre Club and are rewarded with ribbons as they accumulate kilometres.

Now staff members, parents, friends and students can be seen together involved in exercising. Another school is involved in the Jump Rope for Heart. This programme like the previous one is done in the students' own time. The children skip for twenty minutes each day. They make up their own routines and even are involved in learning the popular Double Dutch Skipping. The benefits of programmes such as these are numerous. They are enjoyable ways to increase and maintain cardiovascular efficiency (good aerobic activity), and improve motor co-ordination with timing and speed. They help to relieve tension, enhance self esteem and provide positive body image. Most importantly these programmes become vehicles to teach health values related to weight control, aerobic exercise, nutrition and even stress control.

Statistics are frightening about the lack of exercise. Children spend on the average, 23 hours a week in front of the television set, often with fattening snacks in their hands. The only exercise they may have that day is the use of their fingers on the video games they play for hours at a time.

It is not many years ago that when children came home from school they played in the garden or down the street at a friendly game of cricket or soccer or even Hide and Go Seek. Many Bermudian children do not get the amount of exercise they need to develop or maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.

Bermuda is fortunate that Government recognises the need for trained Physical Education Teachers in the schools. These professionals do an outstanding job in the very short time they are able to interact with the students.

Today's teachers are faced with many challenges. As educators we try to demonstrate our care and concern for our students by teaching them of the need to develop lifelong fitness habits that will promote a healthy lifestyle.

Fitness education is more than training to get fit. Fitness Education focuses on the WHY, the WHAT, and the HOW of physical fitness for ALL students.

Christine A. DeSilva B.A., M.A.

Mentor (Former Physical Education Teacher) Department of Education FIT KIDS -- Somerset Primary vs. West Pembroke earlier this month. Children today don't get enough exercise, experts say.