Trenton students are meeting their recommended hour of physical activity by participating in GoNoodle physical activity breaks at school.
St. Francis Medical center sponsors the GoNoodle program at Trenton schools. The program provides students with three to five minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity they can perform next to their desks.
One of the GoNoodle activities, Run With US!, created in collaboration with the USA Track and Field Foundation, features Olympians and elite athletes coaching students in virtual track and field events.
Three national champions with New Jersey New York Track Club are set to lead Trenton students in GoNoodle physical activity breaks in the classroom April 10.
Monument Elementary School students will have the chance to meet New Jersey native Robby Andrews, ranked second in the 800 meter at the 2013 USA Indoor Championships; along with Cydney Ross, 800 meter qualifier for 2014 USA Championships, and Michael Rutt, 800 meter runner who broke the men’s 4 x 800 meter indoor world record in February.
Research shows that short bursts of physical activity have positive health benefits and improves student performance.
According to a report from the Institute of Medicine, “children who are more active show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed, and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active.”
In addition to the track and field game, GoNoodle includes dancing and calming exercises along with activities that incorporate math, spelling and vocabulary.
Teachers in Trenton Public Schools can access GoNoodle for free by visiting gonoodle.com.
