Have a Heart [Rate]

By now, you all are stepping away like there's no tomorrow with your pedometers.  One step at a time to a healthier life, right?  However, as we discussed in class, a long step is measured no differently than a short step.  A fast step is no different than a slow step.  A muscle-firing low lunge step is no different than a casual stride.  What is missing in this nice and simple measurement of physical activity?  INTENSITY!
Here's what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has to say about ways to measure exercise intensity for the general population:
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/measuring/index.html

You may (or may not) have heard about the Borg Scale Rating of Perceived Exertion (Borg, 1982) and its counterpart, the Modified Borg Scale Rating of Perceived Exertion.  This scale has been used for the past 31 years in research, teaching, and physical activity training sessions as a way for clients, patients, and students to express the level of perceived intensity/work/exertion (aka: how much do you "feel the burn")!?

While the Borg RPE scale has many pros (no cost to use it, most people get the idea of a 1-10 rating scale), the big drawback is clearly the variance of the units from one person to another.  Even with the color-coding and description, what one person might feel as a 7 may look like a 2 to a teacher or trainer.  And conversely, if a trainer says a pace should feel like a 3, the client may not understand his or her body's limits or potential and really be working much harder than they should be.

Before our Wednesday class, I challenge each of you to do a bout of physical activity or exercise and at 3 different points in that bout, note what you are doing and how you perceive your intensity.  (See EMU-Online for specifics on this part of the online assignment).  In your comments below, share what you did and your points of noting your exertion.  Discuss what potential challenges that you could see in using this scale and the issue of variance in the ratings.

Slighly before Borg published his research on the RPE Scale, Polar Electro developed the first wireless heart rate monitor (circa 1977).  Since then, wireless heart rate monitoring has been used by athletes, students, and everyday people to add another layer to the objectivity of physical activity intensity. Our lab this week and class on Monday, 10/7 will be devoted to understanding the basics of how a heart rate monitor works and the benefits/challenges of its usage in a school Physical Education and general PA setting.

Check out the linked (below) insights, options, methods that are out there now in our current society heart rate monitors. Please view and read what is here and think critically on the videos and articles.  Comment a second time on your thoughts to the following questions after you checked out the linked information.  Please mention the specific video/article you're referencing or if you have another video/article present in the common stream of consumer information to share, copy and paste that link in your posting.

a) What do you believe about the accuracy of information presented about HRM available to mainstream society as indicated with this brief array of common examples?

b) How does where are these videos/articles are sourced  from impact the message shared?

c) As a PA professional, how do you think you'd help students, athletes, or your client decipher how to apply HRM in their life despite all of the (sometimes conflicting) information available online or in mainstream society?

General PA and HRM (heart rate monitor) examples

Polar Electro: Why Train with Heart Rate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT4QVBmK6c4&feature=share&list=PLAC439211DE262040

WVU Basic Target Heart Rate Zone (THRZ) webcast

http://youtu.be/htJUYE9hjZs

Orange Method: An Arizona morning show overview of a new group exercise class that (attempts) to incorporate heart rate

http://youtu.be/UWloZGNqawA

Use of HR as a measure of MPA

http://www.setantacollege.com/wp-content/uploads/Journal_db/Evaluation%20of%20heart%20rate%20as%20a%20method%20for%20assessing%20moderate%20intensity%20physical%20activity..pdf

GetLean12: "Don’t Use These Zones"
http://youtu.be/ugSk0eUrUDI

Heart Rate in School Physical Education

Beth Kirkpatrick 1991 NBC Nightly News Story: HRM in Physical Education

http://vimeo.com/56944524

Students w/ heart rate data projected on wall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXDDyo3aFrk

BVU using HRM in Physical Education Teacher Education

http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/1950459.html

Polar GoFit System in Physical Education

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1LDeVXLzkA&feature=share&list=PLAC439211DE262040

Instant Heart Rate app--no watch or strap needed?

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id409625068?mt=8

One Step at a Time

We all (hopefully) know the recommendation for adult/youth daily physical activity (PA), right?

If not, here it is: 60 minutes, daily and to make sure it's moderate-vigorous in intensity.

Do you get 60 minutes of daily activity?  Every day?

Due to the nature of our jobs and academic majors, I'd like to hope we are all as active as we think we are, but have you recently ever really tracked this?  For the next few weeks, we will use several means to track our PA and I hope we all are well within that 60 minute recommendation.

But think of all of the other people out there who do not love sport, movement, fitness, Physical Education, or have an active job.  Part of our role as movement specialists is to make sure people know what is going on with their own bodies and use their bodies to achieve/maintain a healthy, happy life.  We will all not work with athletes every day, and so some of our students and clients will need to start with the basics--one step at a time. That's were pedometers can be a really useful tool to track a basic measure of PA: steps.

In your comments below, share how you have (or not) tracked your PA.  What methods of tracking your PA do you prefer and why?

Lastly, if you had to guess how many steps you take on an average weekday, how many would you guess (place this guess in your post as well).

Social Networking: Friend or Foe?

I'm curious on to your initial thoughts on if and how social media should be incorporated into our educational processes.  Keep in mind that since you are reading this blog, you are currently engaged in a social media platform--blogging is a form of social media. Or when you go to YouTube to upload a video in to a Prezi, you are also combining social media with education.

But what about social networking--platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others--should teachers, physical activity leaders, and coaches use these tools as well to connect with students, athletes, parents, clients, and community members? Or is it too dangerous and do the risks outweigh the benefits?

Check out some basic Twitter info here. 
http://blog.buysellads.com/2011/the-who-why-and-how-of-twitter/?view=infographic

And here's some stats on Facebook:

Please comment and share your thoughts on what you know, what you've seen, and what you've heard about social networking in general, social networking in education, and if this is something you could see as beneficial for PE & PA professionals to use.  Be sure to indicate your name in your commenting profile.

Presentations: Not another PowerPoint!!

We've all been there--sat in the classroom in the huge lecture hall and stared at a screen filled with teeny tiny text and wonder, "How in the world am I supposed to write ALL of those notes down and remember them for the exam?"

Or you've stared at a bright red screen with yellow words typed in because the professor wanted to be creative and keep your attention.  But really your eyes are watering more than after chopping up an onion.

Or the final worst thing is a presentation where the professor puts up slide after slide and reads off the text.  Even the occasional animation/entrance effect can't make up for how boring it is.  Soon all the words start blending together and you have no idea what she's even talking about anymore.  (I've been guilty as charged of this--I am ashamed to admit).

Giving a successful and effective presentation has many things to consider:

• Do I use a supporting format (i.e. PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.) or not?
• Do put a lot of information on the slides or just a little
• How much information should I practice on my own?
• Should I use pictures or video to enhance it?

In today's online class, you'll learn the very basics of a presentation platform called Prezi.  It's a creative way to present information (more than just words) that allows for a more fluid and inspiring experience for those who are receiving the information.  I also think it's more fun to make a Prezi than a PowerPoint. Think about your future career goals and what kind of information you'll have to present and what kind of audience you'll have to present to...

• Concussion prevention tips to parents of your athletes?
• The importance of quality Physical Education to a school board?
• Your master's degree thesis to your committee?
• Protein/carb ratio nutrition tips to personal training clients?

As a future physical activity professional, sharing with and educating your students will be a very regular part of your job.  Being able to use a tool (like Prezi) is just another way to show that you can be flexible, creative, and also hopefully keep their attention. 

Here's a few questions I'd like you all to comment on this week: 

What was the WORST presentation you ever have seen? Why was it so bad?

What was the BEST presentation you have ever seen? Why was it so effective?

Feel free to compose your own comment or also comment on a classmate's posting.