The NFL, American Heart Association and Discovery Education will host the first AHA-NFL PLAY 60 Challenge Virtual Field Trip live from Super Bowl LI host city Houston to be streamed for free in classrooms across the country Jan. 31.
Houston Texans players Whitney Mercilus and Christian Covington and the American Heart Association’s Mercedes Carnethon Ph.D. will teach students the science behind cardio and strength exercises that NFL players use throughout the season to stay fit and active.
The hour-long live stream will also feature a Q&A session, a physical activity session designed for a classroom session and a behind-the-scenes look at the Houston Texans’ practice facility and Houston’s Health Museum.
“Our collaboration with the NFL and Discovery Education helps to instill knowledge and healthy habits in young audiences in diverse populations across the country,” Eduardo Sanchez, Chief Medical Officer and Prevention at the American Heart Association, said in a statement. “Prevention is key to improving cardiovascular health and reducing heart disease and its risk factors, and engaging children in fun programs like the NFL PLAY 60 Challenge is a strategy to start early to get kids to be physically active and to help build future generations of adults with good health.”
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The NFL and the American Heart Association had teamed in 2006 to create the NFL PLAY 60 Challenge to reach the organization’s recommendation of at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.
“The NFL is always seeking ways to innovate the PLAY 60 campaign and get kids active and healthy through the use of modern technology,” NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibilities Anna Isaacson said in a statement. “We are excited to work with the American Heart Association and Discovery Education to provide new resources to classrooms nationwide to make physical activity activity easy and fun. The VFT is an example of how to creatively use technology and digital resources to teach students the importance of a healthy lifestyle.”