The relationship between physical fitness and health in adults is well established, yet until recently, empirical support for the impact of physical fitness levels on health markers in children has not been thoroughly documented. The aim of this review was to provide a summary of current literature that has examined the linkage between measures of health-related physical fitness (ie, cardiorespiratory fitness, musculoskeletal fitness, flexibility, and body composition) and health markers in youth. Specifically, this review focused on the findings from the recent 2012 Institutes of Medicine report on Fitness Measures in Youth as well as other subsequent review articles related to the topic. In addition, recommendations for health-related fitness assessments in youth populations are presented.

Appropriate instruction is a key component of quality physical education, which aligns student learning activities with grade-level learning outcomes. Historically, in the 1980s and late 1990s, an abundance of research was conducted to empirically link teacher effectiveness to student learning outcomes. In recent years, however, limited research has been published. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to: (a) identify research studies examining appropriate instructional practice in K–12 physical education since 2000, (b) describe the study characteristics and summarize the findings, (c) compare research to the SHAPE America’s guidelines for appropriate instruction, and (d) make recommendations for future research. Methods: This study was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) standards of quality for reporting meta-analyses. A systematic search of five electronic databases was conducted. Two reviewers retrieved articles, assessed risk of bias, and performed data extraction. The findings were synthesized using a descriptive analysis. Results: A total of 37 articles met the inclusion criteria. A thematic analysis was conducted to reduce the included articles into four themes that influenced student outcomes: (1) student engagement and participation, (2) motivation, (3) student learning, and (4) physical activity and fitness. Conclusions: This review of the literature provides evidence of the benefits of effective teaching practices and suggests that future studies in instruction should focus on teacher effectiveness and its relation to student learning outcomes. Recommendations and future directions are discussed.

This article has two purposes: (a) to consider existing platforms and future possibilities in the United States for what the authors refer to as Integrative Public Health-Aligned Physical Education (IPHPE), which integrates standards-based K–12 physical education with a public health agenda focusing on promoting increased physical activity and fitness, and (b) to consider the implications of IPHPE for the preparation of future physical education teachers and teacher educators/researchers. First, the historical context that has nurtured the development of ideologies that inform IPHPE is summarized. Second, examples of these ideologies in terms of their current and prospective contributions to IPHPE perspectives are discussed. Third, building from existing public health-aligned recommendations for pre-service physical education teacher education (PETE) programs, IPHPE-based professional preparation requirements for future physical education teachers are considered. Finally, the focus shifts to doctoral PETE (D-PETE) programming and professional preparation requirements for future physical education teacher educators/researchers from an IPHPE perspective. The overall intention of this article is to propose a way forward for physical education which bridges educational priorities of the profession to contemporary and relevant public health needs.

Performance in the supine-to-stand (STS) task is an important functional and health marker throughout life, but the evaluation methods and some correlates can impact it. This article aims to examine the studies that assessed the performance of the STS task of young people, adults and the elderly. Evidence of the association between the STS task and body weight status, musculoskeletal fitness and physical activity was investigated, and a general protocol was proposed. MEDLINE/Pubmed and Web of Science databases were accessed for searching studies measuring the STS task directly; identification, objective, design, sample, protocols and results data were extracted; the risk of bias was assessed (PROSPERO CRD42017055693). From 13,155 studies, 37 were included, and all demonstrated a low to moderate risk of bias. The STS task was applied in all world, but the protocols varied across studies, and they lacked detail; robust evidence demonstrating the association between STS task and musculoskeletal fitness was found; there was limited research examining body weight status, physical activity and the STS task performance. In conclusion, the STS task seems to be a universal tool to track motor functional competence and musculoskeletal fitness throughout life for clinical or research purposes.

Purpose: This introductory article provides the context and rationale for conducting systematic literature reviews on each of the essential components of physical education, including policy and environment, curriculum, appropriate instruction, and student assessment. Methods: Four research teams from Doctoral Physical Education Teacher Education programs (D-PETE) conducted these systematic reviews using the PRISMA guidelines process. Results: This article explains the role of the national framework for increasing physical education and physical activity (i.e., Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program) in supporting the essential components of physical education. It also highlights the expectations for physical education and provides a brief history of these components. Lastly, this article highlights each of the articles presented in the special feature. Conclusion: Understanding the implementation of these components may be important for improving the physical education experience for all students and creating a foundation for lifelong physical activity and health.