Getting active for 60 minutes a day is critical as kids who are regularly active have a better chance of a healthy adulthood, but only 20% of kids get enough activity to meet the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans[1]. That’s why the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, and the National Football League (NFL) in production collaboration with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital curriculum resources, digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, are working together to make physical activity fun and inspire healthy lifestyles.
At 1 p.m. EST on Jan. 30, the NFL PLAY 60 Huddle Up and Get Moving! Virtual Field Trip will premier. Broadcast in classrooms across the country, the Virtual Field Trip gives students a behind-the-scenes look at the Miami Dolphins practice facility and stadium, which is home to Super Bowl LIV. Students will also learn ways to strengthen their muscles and hearts with Miami Dolphins players and cheerleaders. The virtual event makes physical activity fun and inspires healthy lifestyles through cardio and strengthening exercises. The livestream encourages classrooms to get active and give back to their community as part of the NFL’s Huddle for 100 initiative, which is asking people to volunteer 100 minutes of their time for a total of 100 million minutes to celebrate the NFL’s 100th season.
“Working together with the American Heart Association on PLAY 60, we’re excited for another Virtual Field Trip that will get youth across the country moving towards a healthier and more active lifestyle,” said Anna Isaacson, SVP of Social Responsibility, NFL. “Encouraging students to volunteer in their communities through this year’s Virtual Field Trip as part of the NFL’s Huddle for 100 emphasizes the importance of giving back which has been a constant theme throughout NFL100.”
Now through Super Bowl LIV, educators and students can Huddle to Play it Forward by getting out and volunteering to improve their school community or neighborhood. Participants are encouraged to share a photo or 15-second video of their classroom demonstrating healthy behaviors in the community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #GetMovingPLAY60.
“Starting in childhood, lifelong healthy eating and regular physical activity are key to great cardiovascular health and to preventing heart disease and its risk factors. Engaging children in PLAY 60 is a strategy to make movement fun,” said Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., MPH, the American Heart Association’s chief medical officer for prevention. “Active kids learn better. When kids are active, they focus more, think more clearly, react to stress more calmly, and perform and behave better in the classroom. Kids who are physically active as kids will help build healthy kids and future generations of adults with great health.”
The NFL and the American Heart Association have teamed up since 2006 to inspire kids through a fun and engaging way to get physically active. In addition to the NFL PLAY 60 Huddle Up and Get Moving! Virtual Field Trip, the American Heart Association and the NFL offer the free PLAY 60 app, which has been redesigned this year to help kids get more movement throughout the day. The PLAY 60 app allows users to control personalized avatars onscreen with their own physical movement. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.
Registration for the NFL PLAY 60 Huddle Up and Get Moving! Virtual Field Trip is now open at heart-nflplay60.com/register. To learn more about this program and to access the free resources, visit aha-nflplay60.discoveryeducation.com.
