Physical Education vs. Physically Active

Helping my daughter choose classes and plan out her schedule for the first couple of years of high school brought back many memories of my own high school days, some good, others, not so much. Some of my particularly shudder-worthy memories are of Phys Ed classes. One year I had first period gym.  I spent that entire semester feeling perpetually disheveled — there was only enough time to change, but not to shower.  The prospect of coming out of the pool first thing every morning was so horrifying that I literally sat it out in the locker room.  

My major frustration with physical education in high school, however, was the lack of consistent physical activity throughout the class. Softball unit was the worst! We basically spent the entire period sitting on the bench, waiting for our turn to swing the bat. Every once in a while I had the chance to run a few feet to the closest base — woo hoo!

Units such as basketball were a little better. I got to run around a bit more, but could not really get into the game — too many athlete boys monopolized the ball.  Often, even if I could participate more fully, I would not want to — the same athletes playing so aggressively, that there was a very real risk of injury.  I remember trying to convince my guidance counselor to take gym off my schedule, but no luck. I was stuck with it every year until I graduated.

Then, during my senior year, something wonderful happened. Two gym teachers decided to combine their classes.  One instructor decided to pilot a weight-lifting program for the first of two quarters, so he gave students in both classes the option of joining him. The rest of the students could remain with the other instructor and continue with the traditional baseball/football/frisbee/whatever sequence. Of course, I enthusiastically signed up for the former.

We began by evaluating our fitness level — BMI, weight, upper/lower body strength, flexibility, etc. Every day we started the class with a 5 minute jog.  Then we advanced to the weight room and rotated through every type of weights. We kept daily track of sets and reps for each exercise and concluded our workout with stretching.  Throughout that quarter, our coach continually evaluated each student to determine when he/she could increase the weight or number of reps for any particular muscle group.  That was the first and only time I felt that a gym class could benefit me in any way. Still, I was surprised at the end of the quarter, when we once again evaluated our level of fitness, just how beneficial it had been. I had lost 10 lbs., lowered my BMI by several points and markedly increased my body strength.  I had also noticed that, although I always hated running, daily 5 minute jogs had helped my endurance tremendously.

Now that my daughter is looking forward to high school gym, I reviewed the various offerings with great interest. I heard from parents in other districts that schools are moving toward offering more options for phys ed, such as yoga and even zumba.  One program consists of assigning heart monitors to students.  The requirement is to elevate the heart rate beyond a specific level and keep it there for at least 30 minutes every day.  The heart monitors keep track to make sure this requirement is met.  I thought this was genius — let each student decide how, when and where to exercise.  After all, the goal is to keep each child active, and this program can really make sure that no one slips through the cracks and that everyone enjoys participating.

Of course, CHUH district does not offer many non-traditional phys ed options right now, but I am hoping that with all the curriculum changes, gym class will also get a 21st century update.