UW-River Falls Undergrads 'Commit to be Fit' for Middle School Students

January 6, 2015 -- Beginning in February, Meyer Middle School (in River Falls) students will spend the first minutes of their day jumping rope, dancing Zumba, and practicing resistance training thanks to the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.  

UW-River Falls recently received more than $2,200 in grant money from the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation to establish the school's first Commit to be Fit program. Each weekday from 7:15-7:40 a.m., certified UWRF Health and Physical Education undergraduates will lead 11 to 14-year-old students in a fun, noncompetitive exercise program that's specifically designed to engage children who normally shun physical activity. The program will accommodate 60 to 100 students. 

"I think that this is a win-win both for the students at Meyer Middle School and our students at the University," said Faye Perkins, professor of Health and Human Performance at UWRF.  

Perkins, who applied for the grant, said promoting physical activity in young people combats the serious physical and mental problems caused by childhood obesity. 

"Research shows that kids who are physically active are more focused in classes and do better academically," Perkins said.    

The program is endorsed by two local physicians, James R. Beix, and Amber Morgan, and is supported by Mark Chapin, principal of Meyer Middle School. 

For more information, contact Perkins at 715-425-3966 or faye.j.perkins@uwrf.edu.