Physical activity is a learned behavior, says one of the competition's judges, Avery Faigenbaum, a professor of health and exercise science at The College of New Jersey.

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"I feel there's a lot of education that still needs to take place" in the medical community, says Michele Shaw, a professor at Washington State University College of Nursing who studies exercise in children, with a focus on those with asthma.

WSJ: Kids With Asthma Play Hard, Too