COLUMBUS — Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel on Monday launched a 90-day challenge for fourth through eighth graders who opt in to pursue fitness, nutrition, and sleep goals in hopes they will develop into permanent habits.

The former Ohio State University champion football coach visited Orchard S.T.E.M. School in Cleveland and Struthers Middle School near Youngstown to announce the Team Tressel Fitness Challenge. Its official launch on Sept. 8 coincides with the start of the new school year.

Mr. Tressel plans to visit other schools across the state to encourage participation. So far, 635 individual public, private, and charter schools serving 160,000 students have opted in.

“We created this challenge so it’s truly for everyone — from the super athlete to the student who needs an adaptive exercise,

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