The schools taking a stand against too much sitting down
B
It is part of a programme called Active Movement devised by Dr
Mike Loosemore, a researcher from University College London, who has led
research into the diseases caused by a sedentary lifestyle. The school
programme is not about the dangers of missing out on the recommended 150
minutes a week of moderate exercise. Even a thirty minute run after work
can’t repair the damage caused by hours of sitting. “Sitting can create inflammatory cytokines which damage the lining of the arteries and the brain,
leading to heart attacks and strokes and some cancers,” says Dr Loosemore. “We
know it can lead to diabetes and even Alzheimers.”
C
Some researchers believe sitting has become worse in the age of screen-based
social media and computer games. But children represent an opportunity to
bring about a change of heart. Dr Loosemore uses the characters Sid, who sits,
and Stan, who stands, to personalize for children the critical choice between
sitting and standing. Children at the Old School House are
well aware of the benefits of “being Stan” at every opportunity.
Pupils stand up to answer a question in class or when the head teacher enters
the classroom with a visitor. Standing has been given a positive spin – anyone
celebrating a birthday is allowed to stand up whenever they want to. Champions
from each of the school’s houses wear pedometers.
D
Pupils agree that such innovations have injected a buzz about activity into school life. “Once,
people used to sit around, now you hardly ever see them sitting,” says Josh, a top-year
pupil. Molly, who is also in her final year, has noticed a new social
pressure to be active. “If there was someone who was jogging because they were
really fit, it would be really embarrassing if you were in the car eating
crisps,” she says. Becky says: “If you’re sitting down your muscles are all
relaxed and you droop down, whereas
if you’re standing you're holding yourself up, and you have better posture.”
E Abberley
Parochial Primary’s head teacher, Anne Wylie, says that movement has made it
more effective. “It’s been known for a long while that activity improves
children’s energy,” she says. “But we’ve found it has also helped them to
concentrate.” But the Active Movement programme is not principally designed to
make already largely fit children into athletes. Its aim is to instil lifelong habits and create a
generation of children who will work with their bodies to stay healthy.
Adjusted to (1)
inflammatory
cytokine – zánětlivý signální protein
buzz
– vzrušení, potěšení, hukot
droop
down – ochabnout
instill
– vštípit postoje
1) Read the article and match each of the
headings to a paragraph.
1 Sid and Stan
2 Children fight with the
diseases of old age
3 Loosemore says sitting causes a lot of diseases
4 Movement helps to concentrate and stay
healthy
5 Pupils’ opinions
2) Read the article and answer the questions.
1 What is special about Old
School House?
2 Who is Mike Loosemore? What does he say?
3 Why do people sit more nowadays?
4 What can be caused by sitting?
5 What do pupils think about the change?
3) Explain the following words and phrases.
1 sedentary lifestyle
2 moderate exercise
3 screen-based social media
4 top-year pupil
5 have better posture
4) Answer the following questions.
What are benefits of child’s movement? How does
it influence learning? How does it influence health? What is outdoor and indoor
play? What opportunities do they offer to children?
Video:
Tips, sources of information:
Source:
(1)
PIGOTT,
Robert. The schools taking a stand against too much sitting down. BBC
News [online]. 2015 [cit. 2015-09-20]. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/news/education-33093809
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