Antietam Elementary Families Explore New Ways to Stay in Shape

Antietam Elementary School’s cafeteria was teeming with laughter and chatter last Friday night as parents joined their children on the mat to do a set of pushups, followed by a round of back arches. “Bring your back up like a cat, MEOWWWW!” yells Andy Pfefferkorn of Just Fitness for Kids, who led the event at the request of physical education teacher Laura Altholz. “Now drop your back flat like a cow and say MOOOO!” cheers Andy as both kids and adults follow his lead, screaming out their best impression of a bovine. While this group of about 30 continued with nine more Meows and Moos, other parents were assisting their kids with the rock-climbing wall, the obstacle course, jump ropes, hula hoops, and more. Nearly 300 students from kindergarten to fifth grade were present, and all of them were having fun while burning calories and learning about good health.

Family Fitness Night, hosted on Friday, March 10 at Antietam Elementary School, was Altholz’s way of reaching out to all of her P.E. students, particularly those who don’t typically enjoy physical activity. She points out that kids can sometimes be easily discouraged, especially when they feel they are not performing well at a sport or athletic game. Altholz wanted to share new ideas and techniques for exercise that can be exciting and successful for all students, and she felt that Pfefferkorn and his colleagues’ unique brand of teaching could do the job perfectly.

“I just want everyone to have a good time learning a great new activity that they can do at home,” says Altholz about the event. “I hope that everyone can see that being fit can be fun and that there really is something for everyone.”

As the children moved from the stretching station to the climbing wall, a few could be overheard talking eagerly about the obstacle course, the favorite event of the night for most attendees. Some took a minute out of their session to watch the video on nutrition, and Altholz herself was at the obstacle course helping smaller students across the balance beam. No matter which activity the kids were participating in, faces were beaming with enthusiasm. As one boy shares, “This is so much fun. We climb the rock wall during P.E. but the obstacle course is awesome.”

Throughout the evening, Pfefferkorn would remind the room, “This is a FAMILY fitness night, so let’s see the whole family out there on the floor.” Many parents followed his advice, joining their children out on the gym floor for a variety of exercises. One boy laughed as his mom tripped up on the jump rope, while three kids stood in awe as dad spun a hula-hoop around his head. Many parents helped their kids complete different activities, which is exactly what Pfefferkorn and Altholz were looking for. Getting the family involved is the best way to ensure that good fitness rules will be followed at home.

Pfefferkorn and Just Fitness for Kids plan to host Family Fitness Nights at other Prince William County schools throughout the year. For more information about their fitness programs, visit the center’s Web site at www.JustFitnessForKids.com.

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