Lufkin ISD promotes importance of physical activity with Bring Your Loved Ones to P.E. Day

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - Happy screams and cheers rang out from the gym at Anderson Elementary School Thursday as both kids and adults enjoyed a period’s worth of rock climbing, hula-hooping, and other activities meant to keep students active.

The school hosted Bring Your Loved Ones to P.E. Day, which promoted the importance of physical activity, as well as the role a parent can play in their child’s life.

“I think it doesn’t take a lot of effort,” said Aby Goff, P.E. teacher at Anderson Elementary. “They just see that it’s fun, and that’s the main thing. [Parents] want to show off, to show that they still got it. They’re just a hoot to watch. And their kids are so proud of them.”

Goff also provided students with technology to help guide exercises or to track fitness goals... — Goff also provided students with technology to help guide exercises or to track fitness goals for the day: iPads were set up as fitness stations, offering students a range of exercises they could perform, while pedometers worn on students’ waists tracked the amount of steps students were getting in during their P.E. session. (Source: Stefante Randall, KTRE)(KTRE 9 News)

Goff said it’s more challenging than ever to keep students interested in fitness - not just staying active, but focusing on nutrition, as well.

“We talk about nutrition, we talk about ways to remain active at home, and we’re also trying to talk about getting some activity in the classroom," Goff explained. “They’re called Brain Breaks, that kind of stuff. You get that oxygen to your brain, and you’re better to learn. It’s hard to sit all day long.

“It’s not just a P.E. thing, it’s a whole child thing.”

Screams and cheers rang out from the gym at Anderson Elementary School Thursday as both kids... — Screams and cheers rang out from the gym at Anderson Elementary School Thursday as both kids and adults enjoyed a period worth of rock climbing, hula-hooping, and other activities meant to keep students active. (Source: Stefante Randall, KTRE)(KTRE 9 News)

Goff also provided students with technology to help guide exercises or to track fitness goals for the day: iPads were set up as fitness stations, offering students a range of exercises they could perform, while pedometers worn on students’ waists tracked the amount of steps students were getting in during their P.E. session.

For many students, the only physical activity they get during the day is at P.E., Goff said, which made it that much more important to introduce healthy habits to her students.

“It’s the lure of technology; I fight it with my own kids, too, even being a P.E. teacher,” Goff explained. “So, they have that lure of technology... but I want them to crave it. They want to go [outside], and find it at home, too.”

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