Media Mention

Designing Schools to Help Fight Childhood Obesity
So, how do schools get in shape? Here are some notable examples of school districts
that have exercised their brain muscles to come up viable solutions.

SchoolDesigner.com, May 2007 – On average, schools are not only old, they are out of shape. They aren't able to keep up with the demands put on them when districts try to run with new programs focused on fitness. For example, multipurpose rooms that serve as cafeterias and gyms no longer function well for today's fitness programs.

Many schools were planned without thought given to how students can safely walk or ride their bikes to school. Playgrounds have been cut from project budgets. An overemphasis of competitive sports has created a disproportionate amount of funding going to a select group of high profile sports, while minimizing opportunities for the majority of students who desperately need exercise.

So, how do schools get in shape? Here are some notable examples of school districts that have exercised their brain muscles to come up viable solutions.

1. Wrestling with New Ideas About Fitness
One good way to picture how fitness can begin to look in schools is to see what is going on in private commercial fitness centers. "The private sector health clubs are where the new trends start, because they have to be competitive in the market," says Dave Sprague, senior principal at OLC Designs in Denver.

Sprague's firm specializes in fitness/wellness centers around the world. For example, the Neighborhood at Rochester Athletic Club (CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS)in Minnesota, focuses on an innovative facility in order to compete with the onslaught of fitness chains sprouting up across the country. It is geared especially for pre-school and school-age children and their families. The facility includes an 18-hole miniature golf course, indoor playground, trampoline basketball, artificial ice (used for stick handling and shooting practice), high school-sized gym with Sportwall™ (Active Electronic Games), automated tee-up golf cages, practice putting green, batting cages, throwing lanes, physically interactive video games, ping pong, foosball and more. The center is an example of many great ideas-many of which can be incorporated into schools to help increase student activity levels.

2. Exercising Options in the Classroom
Classrooms need to be larger not only because of more group interaction, but also because they give students a better opportunity to move around. ATS&R Planners/Architects/Engineers has worked with a school district that is making a few changes that don't require an architect to draw plans: The classroom furnishings change, and flexibility abounds!

"We need to find ways to imbed movement into the instructional time," says Jerry Williams, superintendent of Rochester (Minn.) School District. "Small amounts of movement throughout the school day can add up to a significant amount of movement."

In 2006, in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic, a study was conducted regarding student activity and technology in the classroom. For the first week, the students in one particular classroom sat in traditional desks. The second week, they were able to create their own environment. Some students sat on balls, while others stood or laid on the floor-whatever they thought was conducive to helping them pay attention and get work done.

The monitoring that occurred showed that learning process was not compromised and there was an increase in calories burned. The response from the teacher, students and even parents was so positive that the same set up was maintained longer than the planned Mayo Clinic experiment. According to Williams, the doctor who conducted the test actually spends a good portion of his time conducting business while on a treadmill. So, will treadmills in the classroom be part of the future classroom?

3. Pooling Our Resources With Natatoriums
Swimming pools have long been viewed by some school districts as a maintenance problem not worth having. However, swimming pools can provide a wonderful opportunity for fitness, particularly when combined with or serving as a community center. Maximizing the activities that can occur in a natatorium also increases the appeal from various age groups.

Huron Valley Schools in Michigan embarked upon a carefully planned expansion program at both the Milford High School and Lakeland High School. The construction resulted in much-needed facilities for physical education, training, and competition, while creating versatile, year-round fitness and recreational space for children and adults throughout the region. While each high school is now equipped with a standard competition pool, of particular interest is the uniquely designed leisure pool at each facility.

According to the project architect, Fanning Howey Associates Inc., planning participants helped design the configuration of the leisure pools, providing input on the location of major equipment, the children's wading area (zero-depth entry), and the lap pool. Students were specifically tasked with developing themes for each leisure pool. The winning themes, "Areas of the World" at Milford and "Outer Space" at Lakeland, were carried out in a number of creative applications, including a large, sculpted gorilla water slide, a jungle "hut," water play areas with turtles and hippos, and desert and arctic areas at Milford, and comets, galaxies, and planetary play areas at Lakeland.

Another project worth noting is a complex at Allegan High School. According to the architect, TMP Associates Inc., the challenge was to design a facility that met the school district curriculum and athletic needs, as well as community needs in the areas of leisure, lessons, therapy, exercise, and rehabilitation use. Both the competition/education component and the therapeutic/leisure component are separate bodies of water, allowing simultaneous use by the school district and the community. Both facilities are open long hours and year-round to meet community needs.

4. Running with Innovative Fitness Rooms
While there are athletes in every school who thrive on competition, there are also disinterested individuals who would rather play video games. The newest phenomenon in fitness is what is called "Exer-tainment:" combining electronic entertainment and exercise. According to Sprague, a student can actually get a very good aerobic workout playing electronic games. For example, it's possible to take a virtual tour on a stationary bike and compete against other bikers or just improve your own score. Similarly, interactive dance can be done individually or in groups.

Cathi Lamberti, CEO of Sportwall Intl. Inc., is passionate about student fitness. "We need to provide something for the gamers," she states emphatically. "In Wisconsin, where our equipment is installed, the gamers actually compete against the athletes and win! It is something they feel like they can be good at."

Lamberti sees two distinct fitness areas developing in schools. One area should be designated for cardio and strength equipment, and the other should be planned for interactive fitness equipment.

5. Stepping Up the Pace with Change
While many colleges and universities are making fitness centers a priority, school districts have been slow to respond. The Fitness and Dance Center at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., designed by Butler Rogers Baskett Architects, is a splendid example of how to make fitness visible and easy enough to do in a school.

And how about a climbing wall for your next high school project? This one takes climbing walls to new heights! Connecting interior exercise areas with exterior physical education spaces is a nice way to promote fitness.

While not every student will be a star athlete, every student should be physically fit. Money can be spent paying for medical costs associated with obesity, diabetes, depression and a myriad of physical problems stemming from a lack of exercise or it can be spent creating environments in our schools where all students can get exercise.


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