Fitness Concerns For This Generation
The Western World has experienced lavish developments in technology and food production in the past century. However, widespread food accessibility has been accompanied by a marked increase in obesity rates, for children and adults. Just as food manufacturing and distribution have increased in sophistication in recent years, disease rates have continually soared as a result of this.
Is this the culmination of having way too much of a good thing? Perhaps. But, physical activity and fitness will play one of the most consequential roles in helping this nation rebound back to health. Currently, heart disease claims 1 in three 3 lives, while the adult obesity rate is 35.7%. In terms of children, the obesity rate has tripled ever since the 1970s.
From the ages of 2-19, 17%-28% of all children are obese, which is simply alarming. These obesity rates are being accompanied by dissolution in behavioral and emotional regulation, and an increase in depression and anxiety. However, the physical education provided in schools has a unique position in this particular issue. With strategically crafted fitness and nutritional programs, schools can play a significant role in reducing obesity rates. And, if school cafeterias work concurrently with these efforts to eliminate soda access and unhealthy foods, the school system can drastically reduce these rates.
This is not merely a matter of helping kids lose weight. Their overall bodily and mental health hinges partially on these efforts. Diabetes is beginning to emerge at an even greater age in children than initially projected. Furthermore, heart attack and stroke is arising at younger and younger age groups. With this said, read more about the importance of having physical education in schools.
Benefits of P.E.
The first clear benefit of P.E. is that is teaches a number of ethical character traits that one needs to function in real world settings. One of these traits happens to be perseverance and work ethic. In sports, failures often arise over the course of a game, and only work ethic and perseverance can counteract this. P.E. affords children with the capacity to rebound after dramatic failures and retain their motivation.
P.E. can actually increase and improve brain activity. Because it lowers blood pressure and increases oxygen and blood flow, it can markedly increase brain activity over a period of time.
As discussed previously, food accessibility in the nation has given rise to an obesity epidemic that must be curtailed in some fashion. Exercise can burn calories that would otherwise be converted into fat. Over time, consistent exercise can raise an individual’s’ basal metabolic rate so that they can burn more calories naturally.
Another way that P.E. contributes to childhood health is that it increases both confidence and self-esteem in children. Performing in any sport requires these skills. And by compelling children to undergo athletic challenges, such as running, softball, basketball and swimming, you can show them the value of accomplishing goals and boosting their confidence and performance.
Another important value that children learn during sports is that of collaborative group work and thinking. In the real world, children will require these indispensable skills in the workforce and relationships. Reinforcing these skills early on will enhance their ability to succeed in the future.
Many P.E. programs provide an additional component of nutritional and sexual health. With this said, physical education can reduce the possibility of students contracting sexually transmitted infections, or becoming pregnant prematurely before they reach adulthood. And, in terms of nutritional education, physical education can inform children on the value of eating healthy, as well as quick efficient ways of incorporating healthy food into the scope of everyday life.
P.E. fortifies health by strengthening the mind-body connection, and teaching children to value their physiques and bodies. By exercising a number of muscle groups and putting their bodies through physical, but, rewarding challenges, they learn the value of fostering their natural strength and improving their bodies.
P.E. discourages a sedentary lifestyle. Children who are encouraged to be active early on are more likely to harbor these values in their future as adults. Adults who pursue sedentary lifestyles suffer circulatory issues, along with increased risks for hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and much more.
And of course, P.E. can decrease obesity for generations to come by establishing a generational paradigm for health and fitness. Children who learn these values are or likely to enrich their own, future children with these practices of health and fitness.