The National Football League (NFL) and the American Heart Association have awarded $1,000 grants to three schools through their NFL PLAY 60 Exercise Blitz program, recognizing schools that successfully engaged students in physical activity during a five-day exercise challenge.
Douglas Road Elementary in Michigan, LaMuth Middle School in Ohio, and Cook-Wissahickon School in Pennsylvania were selected as national winners after participating in a video-based exercise series featuring NFL players. Teachers tracked student movement minutes, with the winning schools chosen randomly.
The initiative aims to combat sedentary behavior among children by encouraging at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines, a mix of cardio and strength exercises is crucial for whole-body health.
NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson emphasized the program's goal of helping students achieve their daily movement objectives through innovative and engaging resources. The NFL PLAY 60 app allows users to create custom workouts and earn points while controlling personalized avatars.
Since 2006, the NFL and American Heart Association have collaborated to inspire children to develop healthy lifestyle habits. By providing resources like exercise videos featuring NFL teams' players, cheerleaders, and mascots, the program seeks to increase physical activity and support long-term health outcomes for youth.
