FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Be Physically Active & Earn a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+) with Spider-Like Movements from "The Amazing Spider-Man" Movie

RESTON, VA, June 12, 2012 -- Spider-like movements will be the physical activity of choice this summer now that the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) has released "The Amazing Spider-Man™" lessons and exercise guides. Designed by NASPE for children and youth ages 6-11 and 12-14, the free online lessons are posted on NASPE's website and are perfect for summer camp counselors, recreation program staff, scout leaders, moms and dads who want to help their children get the nationally recommended 60+ minutes of physical activity every day while having fun. In addition, children and youth will have an opportunity to earn a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+). 

PALA+ promotes physical activity AND good nutrition, because it takes both to lead a healthy lifestyle. Signing up for the six-week program can help children and adults maintain or improve their health. Anyone age 6 and older can earn their PALA+ by using the easy to use log sheet which makes tracking physical activities effortless.

In conjunction with the upcoming "The Amazing Spider-Man" movie, in theaters July 3, the lessons are intended to provide children and youth with activities that will help them improve in the five components of health-related physical fitness: cardio-vascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.  The eight-legged (just like a spider) circuit training program has a heavy emphasis on spider-like movements. The eight body weight exercises include Spider-Man Push-ups, Spider-Man Stretches, Squatting Spider-Man Jumps and Spider-Man Rolls --.all that require little to no equipment. As the children move from station to station, they will crawl like a spider.

"NASPE was thrilled that Sony Pictures asked us to develop the fun, simple and developmentally appropriate physical activity lesson plans," says NASPE President Mary Jo Sariscsany, associate professor at California State University-Northridge. "Contrary to what most people may think, some children do have a tendency to gain weight over the summer. That is why we want to provide camps, schools, YMCAs, recreation centers, moms and dads with creative ways to get children and youth to be more physically active. While kids love to watch Spider-Man in the movies, The Amazing Spider-Man fitness program offers an opportunity to inspire them to be physically fit and active like Spider-Man."

The activities are also perfect for families to take on the road. Children and adults can do them at rest areas, parks, airports, beaches or the back yard.

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Contact:
Paula Kun
pkun@aahperd.org
703-476-3461

About The Amazing Spider-Man™
One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man™.  Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field.  The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves from a story by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.  Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.  The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field).  Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today.  Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.  As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to OsCorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner.  As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 159 countries.  For additional information, go tohttp://www.sonypictures.com/

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, administrators, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare professionals in these areas. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). For more information, visit www.naspeinfo.org.

The vision of AAHPERD is "Healthy People – Physically Educated and Physically Active!" Headquartered in Reston, VA, 25 miles west of Washington, DC, AAHPERD is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical education, physical activity, dance, school health and sport--all specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. Its mission is to advance professional practice and promote research related to health and physical education, physical activity, dance and sport by providing its members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support and programs to help practitioners improve their skills to further the health and well-being of the American public. For more information, visit www.aahperd.org.