Some states require high school students to complete a “personal fitness” course in order to graduate, and the Fitness for Life high school text is more than tailor-made for such courses—the principle author, Chuck Corbin, helped create the original state standards upon which some of those courses are based. Fitness for Life also is ideally suited for use in a general physical education class, to help students meet national and state physical education standards—not only those focused on health-related fitness and physical activity, but also those related to movement skills and concepts, diversity, and social responsibility.
But beyond that, Dr. Corbin recognizes that it’s not enough to just expose students to fitness information, or to help them become more physically fit during the time they’re taking a course. What ultimately matters most is (1) instilling in students an appreciation for health-related physical activities that they can do for a lifetime, and (2) helping students learn self-management and planning skills they can apply to create personalized fitness plans and stick to them.
That’s why, in addition to providing thorough coverage of fitness and health concepts and physical activities that apply those concepts, every chapter of Fitness for Life, Updated Fifth Edition also includes self-assessments for the students to perform—including Fitnessgram® assessments—and lessons on self-management skills such as reducing risk factors, resolving conflicts, setting goals, managing time, and overcoming barriers to success. The book devotes multiple lessons to personal program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Fitness for Life also reinforces learning in other subject areas, and teachers can easily identify and capitalize on this integrated content. The Wraparound Teacher’s Edition and Resources Kit includes call-outs in lesson plans throughout the book to identify cross-curricular content in areas like reading, math, science, health, and use of technology. For an in-depth analysis of how the Fitness for Life high school text develops critical thinking skills and supports development of reading and math skills, go to the Correlations section of this site and select the document called Florida FCAT Teaching Strategies or simply click on the link in the Also of Interest box. The FCAT, or Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, is a statewide measure of students’ level of achievement in core curriculum areas like reading, math, and writing, and it is broadly representative of the educational benchmarks established in states across the U.S. This document shows how effectively the Fitness for Life high school text can be used to enhance learning in these important subjects.
These specific reasons for adopting Fitness for Life at each level—elementary, middle school, and high school—are supported by the in-depth information found throughout this web site. If you are looking for a particular answer about Fitness for Life and can’t find it among the major sections of the web site, check the FAQ pages to see if the answer is there, or feel free to Contact Us and ask us your question directly—we’re happy to answer any questions to help you make your decision about adopting Fitness for Life.
