Method: PALs of all students of each PE class in a comprehensive secondary school (grades 6 through 12) were assessed using Actiheart activity monitors each day for the span of a whole week. The Actiheart device is supposed to be the current gold standard for portable objective activity energy expenditure (AEE) measurement (Butte et al, 2010). An average week was selected for the study period. From each grade at least two and up to four lessons were examined. In sum, 22 PE lessons were investigated and 284 students took part in the study. The PE teachers were told not to deviate from their regular PE program and to conduct their lessons as previously planned.
Analysis/Results: Students spent 60 percent of PE class time in MVPA, which is on average 42 minutes per PE class. No significant differences in gender could be found. Mean MVPA time in lower, middle, and upper level PE classes differ significantly (p<0.05), stating the smallest MVPA time in the lower level PE classes and the largest in upper level PE classes. Afternoon PE classes showed significantly (p<0.001) higher PALs and MVPA time than morning PE classes. Warm-up phases provided significantly (p>0.001) higher PALs (M=6.32 METs), compared to the rest of the PE lesson (M=3.47 METs). 19 of the 22 examined PE lessons focused on team games.
Conclusions: Everyday PE provides 70 percent of the recommended time spent in MVPA for children and adolescents. Therefore, school days with PE in regard of exposure to MVPA gain utmost importance in adding to achieving the overall physical activity recommendations. The study’s findings may also impact curriculum and teaching philosophy debates, as a sensible instructional design, and PE and school program are needed to assure a pedagogical framework for keeping MVPA in PE above the recommended levels. Hence, simply letting students running laps does not do the trick.