Teaching the health-related benefits associated with physical activity is a great way to help students value their physical education experience. Physical activity is the key to the physical, mental and emotional development of students. Helping students reach the outcomes related to this portion of the Program of Studies will ultimately help them to live happily "ever active".

How important is active living? Forty per cent of school age children possess one or more of the risk factors related to coronary heart disease.

Physical activity is vital to all aspects of normal growth and development, and the benefits are widely recognized. Along with this recognition is the increasing awareness that childhood is the time to begin the development of active, healthy lifestyles. Physically inactive children are more likely to become sedentary adults. With an inactive lifestyle now recognized as the fourth major risk of heart disease, after cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, encouraging students to live actively reduces the chances of health risks later in life.

Students do not automatically develop the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that lead to consistent involvement in physical activity. Students need to be guided toward these objectives, and schools can be prime facilitators in providing opportunities for participation. As the benefits of physical activity increase proportionally as a result of the time and intensity provided, consideration should be given to maximize the amount of time available within the school context.

Teaching health benefits helps to teach active living and promoting active living in our youth will encourage active living right through their adult years.

General Outcome B (or GO"B ") looks at three areas of health benefits as they relate to physical activity. These are the curriculum organizers in General Outcome B.

• Functional Fitness
• Body Image
• Well-Being

This site includes examples of physical activities that address the outcomes for each of the curriculum organizers.

These activity examples will be adapted to meet your students' needs for the school environment you are in. Providing a context wherein students can achieve depends on many factors. Consider:

• Activity that is relevant, meaningful and enjoyable.
• Equity and diversity.
• Alignment of learning outcomes, instructional and assessment practices.
• Practices that apply the principles of learning.
• Experiences from all movement dimensions.
• Opportunities to practice and demonstrate growth and achievement.
• Elements of risk and challenge provided in a safe environment.
• Consideration of, and for, past related experiences.
• Time allocation.
• Teacher willingness and expertise.
• Diversity of instructional strategies.
• Focus on outcomes rather than dimensions.
• Facilities and equipment resources.
• Use of community resources.
• Use of technology.
• Assessment, evaluation and communication strategies.
• Transference to lifelong participation in physical activity.

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