Virginia AHPERD_SpringSummer2026

Recommendations for Practice Professional development of this kind should be live (if possible), facilitator driven, engaging, practical, and expe rience driven. We recommend professionals engage with a model that has previously been studied and can be easily replicated in an educational setting. It is referred to as the “8-2-8-2” method (Davis & Newlon, 2022). This method pro vides a baseline template, a place to begin, whereafter edu cators should be willing to adapt and adjust as needed. The method accounts for possible limitations in equipment, resources, and time constraints of a typical school day. The 8-2-8-2 method begins with an eight minute (8:00) “target cardio” phase, participants selected a method of cardiovascular exercise appropriate to their existing fit ness level: running, jogging, biking, or elliptical training. In early studies, participants were instructed to work to ward an exertion level that would be challenging, but not exhausting (Davis and Newlon, 2022; Davis, 2026); we kept this front of mind by asking participants to maintain a lev el of exertion measuring 7 to 8 on a 10-point scale, known as a modified “Borg CR10 Scale” (Cleveland Clinic, 2024; Borg, 1982).). Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was a famil iar term for practitioners. Borg’s exertion scales have been widely used to measure physiological intensity of partici pants in a variety of studies. As a measure of physical and psychological strain, exertion scales have proven to be sufficiently reliable and prove especially valuable when equipment is limited (Lamb, et al., 1999). After the initial target cardio phase, participants entered the two-minute (2:00) “strength” phase. During the strength phase, participants performed thirty second (0:30) bouts of bodyweight squats, pushups, side lunges, and burpees under the supervision of a Certified Strength & Condition ing Specialist (CSCS), using the guidelines outlined in the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Guide to High School Strength and Conditioning, Chapter Five, Bodyweight Training (Davis, 2021). While a CSCS creden tial is not required, the facilitator should have experience in exercise science and follow NSCA safety guidelines. All participants were familiar with the technique required to perform these movements and did not require guidance. The third phase, “maintenance cardio”, lasted another eight minutes (8:00). During this second cardio phase, participants selected a method of cardiovascular exer cise which allowed them to maintain their exertion level without crossing over into a state of exhaustion. “Get into a groove and try to hold it for the next eight minutes,” we said. In one study, eleven participants (n=11, 55% of to tal participants) changed their choice of equipment as the workout became too challenging. The most common change was from treadmill to elliptical. Very little instruc tion was needed for this phase. The “balance” phase lasted for two minutes (2:00). The balance component asked participants to stand on one leg,

ment regarding the role of exercise in the conversation of affective improvement. One participant noted “I know how I feel after I work out, and I know my students are in PE, but I don’t think much about how [exercise] could improve the way they show up in my class”. These educa tors routinely acknowledged that a student in a bad mood, unfocused, and bored or sleepy would have a hard time 1) enjoying their educational experience, 2) engaging with any new learning, and 3) staying on task (Mahar et al., 2006). Research on the impact of exercise on mood has been around for years, and methods to capitalize on that alignment should follow (Hettena & Ballif, 1981). There is clearly an appetite for this sort of professional develop ment in an educational setting. It is possible that affect received such high scores due to its increasing prominence in public awareness. The conversation of social emotional learning (SEL), and the broader conversation of mental health, have been in creasingly important since the 2020 COVID-19 quarantine (Newlove-Delgado et al., 2021). Increased awareness of this public conversation would not necessarily lead to an in creased valuation of its importance, especially since some have pushed back against the teaching of SEL in schools (Abrams, 2023). Therefore, regardless of possible outside influence, it is right to listen to educators who rank affect so highly as it pertains to the student experience. While considering additional professional development opportunities, it is important to recognize that educators’ plates are already full. One professional reported having to take sixteen different video courses on an “overwhelm ing” range of subjects. Those courses included countless subjects: how to spot an asthma attack, seizure recognition and first aid, sexual harassment, suicide prevention, blood borne pathogens, trauma-informed care, implicit bias and cultural responsiveness, fire safety, employee communi cation workshops, classroom setup, the expectations that come with being a mandated reporter, how to use an epi pen, and more. Additionally, participants noted the bulk of these courses are passive, “click-through” learning oppor tunities, wherein engagement is low and not much is re tained. “I just do this so [human resources] won’t get mad at me,” said one participant, adding she “couldn’t tell you what I’ve learned so far, I just keep clicking through.” With all of this already on an educator’s plate, in addition to stay ing on top of evolving literacy and mathematics curricula, educators would find it difficult to become an expert in any additional area on their own. They will need strategic de velopment and support. If exercise can improve affect, and improvements in affect can positively impact the overall experience of the student, then educators should be supported in the devel opment of this understanding. With already full plates, the distribution of this professional development should not be limited to passive engagement like the “click-through” required learning models.

SPRING/SUMMER 2026 • Virginia AHPERD • 15