Obesity refers to an excess of fatty tissue on a person’s body. When someone is obese, it can be difficult for them to exercise. A person gains weight when the amount of calories burned is less than the amount of calories taken into the body. When a person is carrying around large amounts of fat on their body, it can become increasingly difficult for them to feel successful in exercise, so they just simply stop. This creates a terrible cycle for the obese individual as they continue to get larger and even unhealthier. Obesity can be a killer! It is true that genetics and stress play a role in obesity, but exercising is something anyone can do at any fitness level. If a student is not already involved in any type of sports or recreational activities that promote physical fitness, school may be their only place to have exercise. If obesity can be a “killer”, then schools can save lives by keeping physical education a part of the learning experience in school. Schools should require physical education every year at every school.
Some people do not want to participate in physical fitness because they are worried about receiving injuries. They even say the risk of injury is far greater in a physical fitness class then in an academic class. But by not being physically active, people are much more likely to have injuries. Stretching before physical activity is very important and is taught during a Physical Education class. If a student is not required to take a gym class, they would not have the opportunity of knowing the importance of stretching before exercising, and this could lead to injury. Physical education is an education, but it would be like giving my great grandmother an I-phone….It’s useless if she doesn’t know how to use it!
Another reason to keep physical education in schools is there is a strong link between exercise and academic performance.