A Response to “The Horse Is Dead; Let’s Dismount”

The thoughtful editorial "The Horse Is Dead; Let's Dismount" in the May 1995 issue of Pediatric Exercise Science (3) provided much to contemplate concerning activity and health. Editor Rowland urges the application of the lifestyle physical activity model (LPAM) for children. He suggests that this model is appropriate if the goal is to promote health through physical activity, specifically to meet the unique needs of children. As authors of the paper "Toward an Understanding of Appropriate Physical Activity Levels for Youth," which Rowland cited in his editorial, we want to support and elaborate on many of the points made. We use the HELP acronym to emphasize the philosophy behind the "new strategy" of promoting good health through regular lifestyle physical activity, as opposed to the "old strategy' ' of promoting fitness through "training" often not appropriate for children.