Summer is here and there's no better time to get out and get active.
And for some, the idea of going to the gym just isn't an option or a place they want to be.
So recently, the Associated Press was looking for alternatives and connected with TCU's Deborah J. Rhea, Director of the LiiNK Center for Healthy Play. Rhea is also an expert in the areas of physical activity and education and the importance of unstructured play.
The health benefits of spending time in nature have long been established, and exercise in general, of course, improves physical and mental well-being. Combine the two and you double down on what adults need to stay healthy, said Debbie Rhea, professor in kinesiology at Texas Christian University. “We’ve got to get outside. We’ve got to be active,” Rhea said. “If we’re going to live long lives, this is what it’s about.” May 29 Associated Press If you're interested in learning more about the importance of being active and the different ways to do it then let us help.
Deborah J. Rhea is available to speak with media about this topic simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
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Biography
Debbie Rhea, Ed.D. is Professor and Director LiiNK Project at Texas Christian University. She has been an educator for the past 39 years, starting her career in K-12 physical education and for the past 27 years has been training physical education teachers at the university level and consulting children and adults in sport and physical activity mental performance.
Rhea has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and 14 books on physical activity, eating disorders and adolescents, with a primary emphasis on diversity, behavior change and motivation; presented at more than 250 different local, regional, national and international conferences on various topics; been an invited speaker on behavior change, motivation and eating disorders on numerous occasions; and developed and trained physical education teachers at in-service trainings on developmentally appropriate curriculum at all levels across the country.
The mission of Rhea’s newest research project, LiiNK, is to bridge the gap between academics and the social, emotional and healthy well-being of children through increased recess and character development. She launched this research project successfully in two Fort Worth private schools almost six years ago and has now expanded to 28 public schools in eight different school districts from Texas and Oklahoma.
Rhea is motivating school administrators to think differently about creating a learning environment that promotes rigor through the combination of four 15-minute recesses throughout the day and character development curriculum taught daily. She emphasizes the need for a more active school environment through outdoor, unstructured play, and structured physical education in order to stimulate the brain for learning. Her newest book, “Wrong turns, Right moves in Education,” reflects why the policies and procedures representing LiiNK are needed in schools today.
Areas of Expertise
Children and Physical Activity
School Recess
Unstructured Play
Childhood Obesity
Eating Disorders
Body image issues
Social Emotional Learning
Accomplishments
Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar
2018
TCU Chancellor’s Award Recipient
Ella C. McFadden Service to Youth Award
2019
Camp Fire First Texas
Education
University of Houston
Ed.D.
Physical Education (emphases Sport Psychology & Pedagogy)
University of Houston
M.Ed.
Physical Education (emphases Sport Psychology & Pedagogy)
University of Texas - Arlington
B.A.
Exercise & Sport Studies
Affiliations
Southern District Scholar Committee Chair, Shape America, 2015-2020
Chair, Shape America Steering Committee: Write a position statement about recess for the country. 2014-2015.
President, Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance (TAHPERD), 2013- 2016
Social Psychology Committee – Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) 2012-2014
National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Steering Committee: College/university physical activity representative, 2011-2015
Vice President of the College Division –TAHPERD. 2004-2007
Finance Committee – TAHPERD, 2004-2007
Chair - United States American Volleyball Psychosocial Resource Advisory Team. 2002-2015
Continuing Education Committee – Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), 2002-2010
Chair, NASPE Sport Psychology Academy, 2002-2004
Measurement and Evaluation Chair, TAHPERD, 2002-2004
Recent U.S. education reform has focused on defining and raising the subject-matter standards students are expected to meet. In order to get their students up to snuff, schools are extending the school day and putting more and more emphasis on academic learning, which can squeeze out a beloved part of the traditional school day–recess.
What Do Monkey Bars and Test Scores Have In Common? More Than You Might Think
KOSU online
2017-10-20
On the playground at Chattanooga Elementary School some kids are pretending to be pirates, a few boys are climbing on a baseball dugout, and another group is belting out the words to various pop songs as they wriggle across the monkey bars.
Turns Out Monkey Bars And Kickball Might Be Good For The Brain
NPR Ed online
2016-01-03
Recess at Eagle Mountain Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas, looks much like recess anyplace else. Some kids run and squeal, others swing, while a half-dozen of their peers are bunched up on the slide.
A Qualitative Study of Teachers’ Perceptions of Increased Recess Time on Teaching, Learning, and Behavior
Journal of Research in Childhood Education
2020
Recess in the United States is decidedly limited in elementary schools, despite numerous research findings that support unstructured play as a vehicle for development across multiple domains. It is widely understood that recess breaks promote prosocial behaviors, physical activity, and attentiveness in class. However, few researchers in the United States have explored effects of multiple daily recess periods on teaching, learning, and behavior. In this investigation, we report findings from interviews with 17 teachers who provide four recess periods daily.
An Innovative Whole Child Approach to Learning: The LiiNK Project®
Childhood Education
2018
Others' success can be a powerful motivation to innovate, which sometimes means finding new ways to return to beneficial activities. Finland's academic success has prompted many to explore that country's policies and practices, particularly regarding providing opportunities for children to enjoy more unstructured play.
The LiiNK Project®: Effects of Multiple Recesses and Character Curriculum on Classroom Behaviors and Listening Skills in Grades K–2 Children
Frontiers in Education
Deborah J. Rhea and Alexander P. Rivchun
2018
Unstructured, outdoor play combined with character development instruction has shown preliminary associations with improved cognitive functioning and classroom behaviors. The purpose of this study was to further evaluate these components of the LiiNK Project (Let’s inspire innovation ’N Kids) when including intervention and comparison school children. The intervention consists of four 15-min recesses, scheduled throughout the day in combination with four 15-min character development lessons taught weekly to improve the elementary classroom learning environment. The second year of this longitudinal study included grades kindergarten through second grade students (N = 405) from two demographically comparable private schools in the southwest region of the United States. One school implemented the intervention, while the other school maintained current protocols. The intervention teachers adhered to the four play breaks at a rate of 92% over the course of the intervention. Transitions from classroom to playground and back dropped from 4 min each way to less than 1 min each way. The results of comparing the two schools showed classroom off-task behaviors such as fidgeting and moving around the room decreased significantly, while attentional focus improved significantly as a result of the intervention. LiiNK Project results from grades kindergarten and 1 in the same schools last year are congruent with the results of this study. Next steps will include public school expansion to explore student diversity among rural, urban, and suburban environments with the play and character intervention.
Weight Stereotypes and Behavioral Intentions toward Thin and Fat Peers among White and Hispanic Adolescents
Journal of Adolescent Health
Christy Greenleaf, Heather Chambliss, Deborah J. Rhea, Scott B. Martin, James R. Morrow Jr.
2006
This study examined weight stereotypes among White and Hispanic youth. Specific objectives were to: (a) document stereotyped beliefs about fat vs. thin peers; (b) examine the extent to which stereotyped beliefs contribute to behavioral intentions toward fat vs. thin peers; and (c) explore potential differences in weight stereotypes and behavioral intentions in White and Hispanic youth.
Muscle dysmorphia in elite-level power lifters and bodybuilders: a test of differences within a conceptual model.
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Lantz CD, Rhea DJ, Cornelius AE
2002
The purpose of this study was to determine if associated characteristics of muscle dysmorphia (MD) were different between elite-level competitive bodybuilders and power lifters. Elite-level competitive bodybuilders (n = 100) and power lifters (n = 68) completed the muscle dysmorphia inventory (MDI) at the time of or immediately before competition. A 2 x 6 (group x MDI subscales) multivariate analysis of variance indicated that bodybuilders were significantly more likely to report body size-symmetry concerns (F(1, 167) = 10.31, p < 0.001), physique protection (F(1, 167) = 10.27, p < 0.001), dietary behavior (F(1, 167) = 28.38, p < 0.001), and pharmacological use (F(1, 167) = 19.64, p < 0.001) than were power lifters. These results suggest that elite-level bodybuilders are significantly more likely to engage in characteristics associated with MD than are elite-level power lifters.
