Improving Physical Fitness Among Students

Improving Physical Fitness among Students

In school, I played basketball, softball and volleyball. I spent my summers at the pool and riding my bike all over the place. I grew up on a farm and there was not any shortage of physical activity. I enjoyed doing these things and it made me feel good about myself. I was a very active person throughout my school years, I do not remember enjoying staying inside, watching television was a rainy day activity; it was not normal and got boring. Fast-forward, compared to the average school student of today, and things are much different.

Today’s students are more sedentary than ever before. It seems with every new game system or social website developed we see a decrease in the activity level of students and an increase in obesity in our youngest citizens. We are constantly hearing of children on prescribed medications to control “old people” ailments such as high blood pressure and type two diabetes. “Children’s obesity is not just rising in numbers but also in the weight gained per child. Children aged 6-11 are as much are 15% heavy as the same age group in 2001” (Walker). Schools get the blame for some of the staggering health issues children are now facing. Physical education programs are now “specials,” along with art, music and other classes that many school districts have deemed not essential or too expensive for the daily schedule. Daily recess has also been eliminated in many elementary schools all over the United States. As a result, children spend most of their school days sitting. The shortage of physical activity, combined with poor diets, is a leading cause in the increase of childhood obesity.

Children who are not active tend to be less social than those who are involved with sports or some sort of group activity. Children who play sports are healthier than their sedentary peers are. Being physical is important in childhood because it helps children’s self-esteem and body image. “Thus, using Physical Education can help in social skills, problems