As May is recognized as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Ohio First Lady Karen Waldbillig Kasich and Nationwide Children’s Hospital recognize their continued partnership on the Time For 10! program – a statewide physical activity program aimed to make guided exercise easy and accessible to Ohio schools, thereby improving students’ health and classroom productivity.
Ohio First Lady Karen W. Kasich and Nationwide Children’s launched Time For 10! in fall of 2013. A free fitness program featuring a series of five, 10-minute exercise videos designed for daily use in K-5 classrooms, Time For 10! is a simple tool to increase students’ physical activity through short bursts of exercise, providing benefits both inside and outside the classroom.
“We know that healthy students are better students. Even short bursts of exercise can help kids feel better and increase focus,” First Lady Kasich said. “Time For 10! requires just ten minutes of time and the space around a student’s desk, which allows teachers to use the program in whatever way works best for their classroom. We’re thrilled by the positive feedback we’ve received thus far.”
Dawn Boerger, first grade teacher and District Wellness Representative at Indian Run Elementary in Dublin, Ohio, started using the videos during the winter months. “My first grade students love the Time For 10! videos—it really helps them get their wiggles out and focus during class,” she said. “We’ve been using the videos as part of our Workout Wednesdays program, as well as an indoor recess option. We love the variety of the workouts and the flexibility of using them at whatever time works best for our classroom.”
As of May 2014, more than 400 DVDs have been requested and received by schools in more than 50 counties in the state of Ohio. The requests come from all types of individuals including parents, grandparents, teachers, local health departments, community organizations, recess aides, school nurses, cafeteria managers, healthy lifestyle coordinators and social workers. Additionally, there have been 43 downloads from the Time For 10! website and more than 2,000 views on YouTube.
“Ohio First Lady Karen W. Kasich has been such a wonderful partner of Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” said Steve Allen, MD, chief executive officer of Nationwide Children’s. “The success of the Time For 10! program over the last year is only possible because of her commitment to Ohio’s children. Nationwide Children’s Hospital shares with her in that commitment as, together, we strive for optimal health for all children.”
Time For 10! is available in three formats – DVD, online streaming or downloadable files. Schools may request a copy of the program at TimeFor10.org. Core Time For 10! program partners include the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio Department of Health.