Fitness for Life is based on the HELP philosophy. This philosophy teaches the value and benefits of lifelong physical activity as well as the idea that physical activity can and should be fun—making students more likely to become and remain active throughout their lives.
The Stairway to Lifetime Fitness is also used to show the importance of learning decision making and problem solving skills that promote independence (ability to plan and use a lifetime activity program).
The Fitness for Life: Elementary School program focuses on the basic level of the Stairway to Lifetime Fitness, providing physical activity time that all students can enjoy and introducing basic information about nutrition and fitness. The middle school and high school Fitness for Life texts follow the complete progression of the Stairway to Lifetime Fitness--while the classroom lessons instill fitness knowledge, critical thinking skills, and self-responsibility, the physical activity lessons provide students ample opportunities to participate in a wide variety of physical activities throughout the course.
Fitness for Life is pedagogically sound, built on National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) standards as well as standards for other subjects. To see how Fitness for Life aligns with NASPE and selected state standards, visit the Correlations section.
