Get Fit, Get Healthy: ACES

Most of us don’t get enough exercise and, sadly, that’s common today in children as well.

It’s one reason why a P.E. teacher started ACES in 1989, to show kids that exercise can be fun.

As Michelle Dunaway and Corey Adkins show us, one Northern Michigan school has embraced the day and they hit the ground running And dancing.

It’s this week’s Get Fit, Get Healthy.

Not long after the start of the school day on a chilly spring morning, about 500 students ranging from pre-k to 5th grade ditched their papers and pencils for the park. 

Some faster than others, but all looking forward to what comes next.

This is Aces Day 2017.

"All Children Exercise Simultaneously," explains Cora Dunham.

It wasn’t happening just in Kingsley.

“It’s a nationwide endeavor to try and get kids to exercise. So, today, we hope that we are participating with about 300,000 other students’,” says physical education teacher, Jolie King.

Mrs. King is also pretty excited.

She’s helped make this event into what it is now: a whole lot of fun!

"We started out doing various things our first few years. We had students running, jumping, we went out onto the track, we went down to the playground," explains Mrs. King.

But today, it’s one big dance party.

"I like to dance. I like to see the kids dancing. I’m a very energetic person and what’s not fun about exercise when you’re doing it with great music and people?”

Mrs. King’s enthusiasm is contagious, and her heart is behind this movement.

"I live and breathe exercise. I know how kids respond to exercise, I see how kids respond to exercise. I see their test scores, see them go up, their behavior issues go down. I see kids feeling better about themselves, developing more self-confidence. The changes I see in kids would make anyone want to be a physical education teacher, and I love to move and I love kids," explains Mrs. King.

And those kids love to dance!

"I just like getting to dance and having fun with everybody," says Baron Leonard.

Sarah Johnson explains, "I like ACES because it lets me get out all my wiggles, because then I don’t look weird doing it because all the other kids are doing it."

Barrett Bielas adds, "We were dancing, me and my friends, we were having fun and my favorite song was ‘Wobble’.”

Barrett wasn’t alone in that.

"I like the wobble," says Cora Dunham.

"Probably the wobble," says Grace Lewis.

"Wobble," agrees Eli Graves.

After all the wiggles, the wobbles, the whirling and the twirling, it was time to stretch and get back to class with everyone feeling a bit more refreshed.

"I think it’s just fun to be out there and it’s a good chance to get exercise, and it’s getting us in shape and it’s just fun," explains Grace Lewis.