APEX, N.C. -- Students at Lufkin Road Middle School are enjoying a fun new way to have P.E. that makes kickball and volleyball look… boring!

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Be Active HOPS is an interactive program that uses video lessons to teach P.E. in a new way, using familiar celebrities and sports figures to demonstrate everything from ladder drills to hip hop dancing and kick boxing.

 

“It gets us doing stuff that we don’t normally get to do,” said Megan Poth, a seventh grader.  

 

The program is being used in a number of elementary, middle and high schools in Wake County, and has been piloted in several more counties across the state by Be Active North Carolina.   According to Ben Blankenship, president and CEO of Be Active N.C., it’s a great way to reach a generation of kids who are technology savvy.

 

“We just don’t think that running a couple of laps around the gym and then waiting to hit the volleyball three times during class is speaking to our audience,” he said. “These kids are used to technology, and that’s going to be their future.”

 

The goal of Be Active N.C. is to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles for all North Carolinians. Through partnerships with local and statewide organizations, Be Active offers programs for adults and senior citizens and has been instrumental in educating teachers about the state board of education policy requiring 30 minutes of physical activity each day.   Blankenship says kids, especially overweight kids, should take a high priority.

 

“Kids in these schools today are our future caregivers, our future firefighters, our future workforces,” he said. “So I’m not sure if there’s even an option but to start investing in the kids right this second.”

 

The Be Active HOPS program is already paying off.   Research conducted by the organization has found that obese and overweight kids are more active using the Be Active HOPS program than in traditional P.E. class.   Blankenship adds that girls appear to be participating at a higher level as well.

 

Marti Capaforte, P.E. teacher at Lufkin Middle School, says the endurance, strength and flexibility kids gain through the HOPS program fits well with a new approach to physical education that focuses on more than team sports. 

 

“We’re trying to keep our kids physically active for an extended period of time,” said Capaforte. “Through the Hop Sports program, they are active for the entire amount of time. There’s not any standing around and that’s what benefits this program”

 

The Be Active HOPS program is being used by over 52,000 school kids across the state.

 

If you’d like to find out more about it, and maybe even give it a try, come out to our Health and Fitness Festival this weekend at the state fairgrounds.   Be Active North Carolina will be one of many organizations there to offer tips on staying healthy and provide health screenings. And it’s all free!