Physical Education is a Necessity

Schools are struggling with the issue of whether physical education classes (“PE”) are a necessity or are an extra-curricular. However, PE is and must be an absolute necessity. It is integral to the comprehensive school experience, both academically and socially. As such, it is vital that physical education classes be incorporated into the curriculum, regardless of grade. High school students are underperforming so far as the recommended daily exercise. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that teenagers receive at least sixty minutes of exercise per day. Yet, only eighteen-percent of high school students are satisfying that recommendation. Nonetheless, because of budget cuts, schools are phasing out physical education classes. This is aggravating the issue. Obesity is a very real epidemic affecting % of children in the United States. Children are also spending more time watching television or using the computer. Afternoons and weekends are increasingly spent indoors, rather than outside. It is thus necessary that PE class fill the void created by the increased dependency on technology.

Alternatively, it may be argued that students may either dislike PE or may refuse to participate. Yet, students similarly may dislike or refuse to participate in science or social studies, but the academic courses are not subjected to budget cuts to the extent of PE. It is an asinine proposition to remove a fundamental course because it may be disfavored by few. While the competitiveness and varying levels of athleticism may cause students to shirk away from PE, the value of PE is not rooted in the competition, but it is a marriage of the physical fitness and the team-building social skills. Both leadership and learning to work in a team environment are the crux of the PE course. Additionally, physical education classes assist in the development of skills needed both in- and out-of-school. For example, both fine and gross motor skills, as well as hand-eye coordination, are further honed. Moreover, PE builds self-esteem; it.

One can also build their self- esteem due to the fact that one needs a lot of self-discipline and dedication to play the sport they love and do well in it. Studies also show that one actually functions better in a classroom. A good exercise workout promotes excellent blood and oxygen circulation. This means more nutrients circulate throughout the body which includes the rain. This circulation produces longer attention spans during classes allowing longer concentration and absorption. Playing different sports develops cooperation, teamwork and sportsmanship skills. The games allow students to interact together to a common goal and that is to win and excel physically. It brings out the competitive sides of students working both body and mind but also promotes sportsmanship. The purpose of physical education is to instill in students, at an early age, the value of self- preservation and choosing a lifestyle that is good for both the mind and body. Without gym classes, how can one accomplish all this? Schools must keep physical education classes in the curriculum and see how it is a necessity!

Did you know that the CDC recommends teenagers to get 60 minutes a day of exercise? Only 18 percent of high school students fill that quota. It is very important for all schools to have PE classes.

Although the CDC recommends teenagers exercise 60 minutes every day, research from the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed only 18 percent of high school students exercised for 60 minutes during the week prior to filling out the survey. Other survey data point to reasons why few teenagers exercise as recommended. Regular physical education classes are rare in high school. In fact, only one-third of students reported taking part in daily physical education classes at school. Data showed that one-third of students reported watching television three or more hours per school day

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/407307-the-average-amount-of-teenage-exercise/#ixzz2CiwtC6SS

With schools cutting back on physical education classes — and some eliminating them altogether — the prospects for getting exercise during the day aren’t great for many kids heading back to school this fall. “Unfortunately, physical education is one of the first things that gets cut when there’s a budget crunch,” says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist at the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. And even when gym class is offered regularly, it’s almost never enough to meet the new federal guidelines that children get at least an hour of physical activity on most days of the week. Only 8 percent of elementary schools, for example, and about 6 percent of middle schools and high schools offer daily physical education classes, according to the National Education Association. For kids not involved in after-school sports, this could spell a very sedentary day. Meanwhile, the rate of obesity among youth is escalating. Among children ages 6 to 11, 16 percent were overweight in 2002, compared with 7 percent in 1980, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among kids 12 to 19, 16 percent were overweight in 2002, three times more than in 1980.