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Should schools require more phys ed?

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Posted: May 18, 2010
Updated: May 19, 2010

Tags: Health and Safety, School, High School

My daughter will head to kindergarten this fall. And when I toured her school, I popped in briefly to a gym class.

The kids were throwing "snowballs" at each other in a game that looked a lot like dodgeball. They were having a great time, jumping and running. I was glad to hear that elementary school kids in Wake County get some form of physical activity every day.

But as the kids grow older, the amount of required physical activity in school grows less and less. By high school, only one year is required, divided between the gym and the classroom.

And this comes at a time when one out of every three North Carolina teenagers is overweight or obese.

Renee Chou will have a special report on WRAL-TV looking at an effort that's headed to the legislature to get teens to take more phys ed. Tune in at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

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Hi Sara, I have been trying to get you to do a follow-up story on this article. Currently I have created a DVD that allows kids to have physical education anytime they desire.P.E. at Home is by far the best kids exercise video on the market for the following reasons: *NC teacher created video *At last kids can have physical education at home. *The school curriculum motor skills are covered such as skipping, jumping, hopping, and galloping. .The exercises can be done in limited space .This exercise DVD is physical enough for parents to get a workout with their children .The exercises are taught by a veteran physical education teacher *Most of all the exercises are fun! Anyway I spent a ton on this video so kids can have physical education at home. Check out the promo video on the website. http://www.peathome.com

coachhenrybunn
May 23, 2010 8:23 p.m.

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Is one semester of PE in high school, with time out for being taught Health, enough for the four years a student goes to high school. Absolutely not! These government nutritionists are trying to starve the weight off when studies show that physical activities that burns the weight off is far more beneficial.

prn13norm
May 19, 2010 3:17 p.m.

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If adults and young people would not rely on fast-foods for their daily intake, that would help a lot. Of course there are many people that don't have any idea how to cook. So they go to fast food and get all that junk to put into their bodies. Adults needs to clean up their act before laying it on the child.

wildcat
May 19, 2010 1:20 p.m.

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So the child excercises at school, but when they are at home, they eat what they want, sit around doing nothing. What then will the school have accomplished? Nothing!

wildcat
May 19, 2010 1:19 p.m.

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No. What would be the serious point? When you look at the aduts instructors that are obese, what is that telling the child that you want to exercise more?

wildcat
May 19, 2010 1:18 p.m.

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schools beyond elementary need exercise. have you seen how overweight teenagers are these days??!?!?!

weimy21
May 19, 2010 12:55 p.m.

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I don't care what age, NO, children of all ages are not getting enough exercise. Just look at all of the schools. No playgrounds. And if there is a playground, it's only big enough for one class with very little on it.Back when I was in school, we had 4 large playgrounds for the different ages. Now, all of that is replaced with either a packing lot or building. TOO much emphasis is put on how much you can learn, study, study, homework. A teacher can teach all day about exercise and nutrition but that will not solve the problem of teenage obisity until they start moving and burning calories. Even during the course of the day.

what the........
May 19, 2010 12:55 p.m.

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I believe exercise in the middle of the day is a great break. It clears the mind and wakes you back up. Otherwise you will find the kids falling asleep and day dreaming in class. They need to learn healthy habits of exercising along with proper nutrition, how to take puls rates, etc. This should all be taught in health/PE classes. At least it was when I was a kid. I don't think it is taught much in some schools. The kids in my neighborhood aren't very athletic and when talking to them they have never been taught how to do simple things such as floor ex run,jump, dive and roll. Something this simple could save a life if faced in a dangerous situation and you need to get out of the way. Plus they learn how to do things like this on mats so they don't get hurt. I held a little contest and none of them could do it. I asked them what they did in gym class and I got the anser, 'nothing really'. What about team sports (soccer, volleyball, etc) so you learn other skills such as working togethe

Reader X
May 19, 2010 12:36 p.m.

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At my daughters school they throw scarves around and roll the ball back and forth as their overweight gym teacher instructs them from the sidelines. It's hardly worth the time it takes from the classroom. If they are going to offer gym they need to actually get their heart rates up!

jellygirl
May 19, 2010 11:39 a.m.

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perfect example for those that think teachers are failing. This is one more PARENT issue that is thrown on teachers. Teach the subjects. Teach character. AND teach kids how to not become overweight.

HopingForABetterWorld
May 19, 2010 11:28 a.m.

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