Woodland Hills : School Gets a Boost in Fitness Program

The reddish blisters forming on the upturned palms of Lauren Villarroel, a fourth-grader at Woodland Hills Elementary School, are part of the sacrifice she makes to be physically fit.

However, after a vigorous workout Friday on the school’s new cardiovascular equipment, she and several classmates said they don’t mind a little pain. Because, after all, they said, no pain means no gain.

“I take karate, and this kind of makes me stronger,” said third-grader Sarina Siegel.

Their workout was part of a ceremony marking the unveiling of the new equipment, which consists of seven workout stations, including a vault bar, horizontal bar, horizontal ladder, pole climb, step-test station and sit-up station. As hundreds of students and parents looked on, Lauren and her classmates gave a demonstration, including shinnying up and down the pole climb, and pumping out sit-ups and pullups.

CareAmerica, a Woodland Hills-based health maintenance organization, donated the equipment to the school, which has launched a program to encourage students to stay fit and to get fit if they aren’t. According to CareAmerica, nationally about 40% of children 5 to 8 years old already exhibit one or more risk factors of heart disease.

Participating in the program is Project Fit America, a nonprofit, nationwide organization that works to promote physical fitness among schoolchildren. It helped the Woodland Hills school design the program, which includes fitness tests for students, teacher training and incorporating fitness training into the curriculum.

Said Dr. Arthur Southam, CareAmerica’s chief executive officer, “This is the kind of fitness program more schools need to address the alarming growth of high-cholesterol, low-cardiovascular endurance and high blood pressure being found in American children.”