Jumping for fitness: One for the books

One for the books

Carson High School students and staff jumped at the chance to be a part an international attempt to break the Guinness World Record for "The Most People Doing Jumping Jacks in a 24-Hour Period."

To break the record, more than 20,000 people worldwide needed to complete the one-minute intervals of jumping jacks between noon Tuesday and noon Wednesday.

First lady Michelle Obama kicked off the attempt at the White House at noon Tuesday as part of her "Let's Move in School" initiative.

Erin Been, a health teacher at Carson High School and member of the Nevada Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, said it was a good way to send a message to the students.

"Any physical activity can contribute to their well-being," she said.

She said teachers paused classes for a minute to jump - a practice she encourages them to continue.

"Research has found there is a connection between learning and physical activity," Been said. "Just giving them a one-minute break is crucial to waking up their brain, reconnecting the brain to the body."

Students in Carson City were joined by others throughout the state in the attempt at the world record.

Ellen Lucas, physical education teacher at Meneley and Pinon Hills Elementary School on Stephanie Way, organized the attempts there.

"I wanted to do this activity to focus on the need for all of us to be more physically active in a relatively sedentary world," she said. "I started this year teaching my students about the One Hour Rule, meaning that they should be active for at least one hour every day for adequate physical fitness. I hope this will help raise the level of awareness in Douglas County."

Leah Tsuchimoto, 8, enjoys exercising and was excited to take part in the attempt.

"If we break the most jumping jacks record, I'll be really happy," she said. "I think we'll be able to do it."

The event came just as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America received word that it set the Guinness World Record for the number of people doing jumping jacks at one time.

Last spring, 227 jumpers from the Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada joined 20,425 of their fellow club members across the country through the organization's Triple Play program. This program, supported by founding sponsor Coca-Cola and the WellPoint Foundation, encourages kids to eat a balanced diet, become more physically active and increase their ability to engage in healthy relationships.

"Young people living healthy, active lifestyles puts them on a pathway to a great future," said Hal Hansen, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada. "We are proud that our members faced the jumping-jack challenge and came out record-breakers."

Been said she hopes the lessons learned continue to shape the lives of students.

"It shows you can get exercise without equipment," she said. "You can go out into the mountains and hike or just do jumping jacks. You don't need to join a gym to have a healthy, active lifestyle."

For more information, visit www.letsmoveinschool.org.

• Record-Courier reporter Caryn Haller contributed to this report.