Developers of a fitness app hope to partner this year with Montgomery County Public Schools to provide the app and its content for free in an effort to boost children’s physical activity.
About one year ago, developers of the app Sworkit launched a youth initiative to give free access to the app to schools across the country.
Sworkit leaders say they have offered to provide teachers at each of MCPS’ 207 schools access codes for the app this year, which includes yoga, stretching, and strength and cardio exercises, according to Rynnie Cotter, executive director of the Sworkit Youth Initiative.
Teachers can use the app at any time — as a supplement to physical education classes or for a quick “movement session” to “get the wiggles out” during class, Sworkit CEO and co-founder Greg Coleman said.
MCPS spokesman Derek Turner said the offer has not yet received clearance from the school district’s technology team, which is responsible for reviewing all apps for use in schools.
More than 3,200 schools in 49 states use the app, reaching nearly 3 million students across the country, according to Sworkit officials.
Students of all ages and sizes lead the workout videos, Coleman said, to help students feel more comfortable participating.
The overall goal, he said, is to get children interested in exercise at a young age, so it becomes a lifelong habit.
“We’re in a time where there are shrinking school budgets and less time to dedicate to physical activity,” Coleman said. “Often, we’re seeing schools propose having less physical education time to put more of a focus on academic instruction and testing requirements, but we’re in a position where we believe this is the wrong approach. Physical activity is part of a holistic approach to the development of a child.”
The Montgomery County Board of Education this year opposed a state bill that would have mandated 90 minutes of physical education time for all Maryland students each week.
Board members said they support providing opportunities for physical activity at school, but the bill had a price tag for the school district of about $11 million for additional staff and other resources. State estimates show that the school system would have needed to add 135 physical education teachers to accommodate the requirements of the bill.
Montgomery County schools provide an average of 45 minutes per week of physical education, one of the lowest totals in the state, according to Maryland State Department of Education data.
National guidelines cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest children from ages 6 to 17 should get at least one hour of physical activity each day.
Nearly 15 percent of Maryland children are overweight and 11 percent are obese, according to the CDC. The national childhood obesity rate is 18.5 percent. Children who are obese are more prone to serious health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer, the CDC says.
In May, MCPS announced the launch of a new initiative, Be Well 365, intended to promote students’ physical, social and psychological health. The initiative incorporates activities to promote physical health, mental health, problem-solving and bullying prevention, among others.
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media
