It is not news to us that the United States is suffering from an obesity epidemic, both in adults and children.  What is shocking, however, is the fact that children are still not being encouraged to become more physically active.  More specifically, students are being given the choice to opt-out of gym class in school, as discussed in a recent article written by Sarah Netter of ABC News.  

In a society where sitting still for the majority of the day has become the norm, schools should be doing their part to not only educate their students mentally, but also physically.  Physical education classes have been around for decades, yet they are becoming more obsolete than ever before.  This is happening despite the push from doctors, nutritionists, and health campaigns to get children more active.  Being obese and overweight has become the number one health problem in children.  A study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that obese children were twice as likely to die of disease by age 55.  

Students are being allowed to opt-out of gym class in favor of activities such as marching band, ROTC, or art class.  Some schools are even offering online gym class, which only requires students to verify that they’ve completed exercise on their own time, even if they haven’t.

“This is a serious issue,” said Keith Ayoob, director of the nutrition clinic at the Rose F. Kennedy Center.  “If they don’t get anything in school they’re probably not going to get it.”

Only five states in the entire country (Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Vermont) require p.e. at every grade level.  We should applaud these schools for taking the initiative, but at the same time we wonder: shouldn’t every school make p.e. a requirement at every grade level?   Since when did gym class become an extra-curricular activity?

According to the “Shape of the Nation” report, released in June by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 22 states allow physical education credits to be completed online.

“We’ve seen over time that children and students are becoming more sedentary and not just in school,” said NASPE president Lynn Couturier.  “Even after school, if they’re going home a lot of them are choosing activities that are not physically active.”

Maybe p.e. class has gotten a bad reputation over the years.  It’s a vicious cycle: those who are already physically active excel and most likely enjoy the class, while those who are overweight or obese and actually need it go through the motions with little enthusiasm.  The activities performed in p.e. class are also rarely strenuous workouts and most schools don’t even offer daily gym class for their students. 

NASPE and the American Heart Association recommend that students get 30 minutes per day of physical education instruction for elementary school children and 45 minutes per day for middle and high school children.  However, only one state (Alabama) follows the guidelines at each grade level, as reported by the NASPE.

Camp Shane weight loss camp for children knows how important physical activity is for a healthy child.  P.E. class should be required for every school in every state at every grade level.  Waivers and online classes should not even be an option; getting more physical activity into each day is never a bad thing. 

Gym class should be taken seriously by the education system and treated as a learning experience.  Too often, p.e. classes are treated as “recess” or “free time.”  Schools should use this as an opportunity to push children in the direction of a healthy lifestyle, while teaching proper fitness techniques.  Parents also should be involved and never opt-out their child from a p.e. class.  Encourage the physical fitness for your child and make it a routine for them at a young age.

Would you allow your child to opt-out of a gym class?  Do you feel that p.e. classes should be a requirement at every grade level?  We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic!