For the first time, the National President’s Challenge is expanding from elementary students to people across the country to be active for at least a half-hour (an hour for youths under 18), five days a week, for at least six out of eight weeks, between March 20, 2008, and May 15, 2008.

So here’s how it works. First, you can go online at www.presidentschallenge.org and sign up to participate. You can sign up as an individual, or as a group. The deadline, by the way, for signing up is April 3rd.

Second, decide how you’re going to meet your physical fitness goal. In other words, you set a goal, and then you pick the exercise or activity. And there’s about a hundred different activities to choose from, ranging from gardening to skydiving.

Third, start exercising. Activity goals are based on age. For kids ages 6 to 17, the activity goal is 60 minutes a day. For adults age 18 and older, 30 minutes a day is all it takes. The activity is up to you.

Fourth, keep track of your activities. There’s an activity log on the website that will help make it easier to track whether or not you’re accumulating enough points to get an award. Individuals who meet their fitness goals can receive certificates and medals. Schools that meet their goals will be honored.

Poor nutrition in female athletes can cause tiredness, performance plateaus or decreases, burn-out, and repeated injuries. Read more

Today’s youth are struggling against obesity and inactivity. According to the Center for Disease Control, 34% of American children suffer from overweight, obesity and physical inactivity. Read more

According to a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle there has been an explosive increase in sports injuries in children that once were associated mostly with pro athletes. “The trend is a result of youth sports becoming increasingly competitive as children and teenagers face growing pressure to perform their best and win college scholarships or even a professional gig.”

Girls tend to be more prone to knee injuries. Tears of the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, which stabilizes the knee, can be career ending. This type of injury is more likely to occur in soccer, basketball and gymnastics.

So how do we minimize risk of injury? The article offers the following tips:

• Limit playing time, especially in sports that require repetitive motion.
• Cross-train.
• Build muscle. This is particularly important for girls to make sure their muscles are equally built so they don’t put too much strain on their joints.
• Learn proper technique.
• Rest. After an injury, allow the body time to heal.