Florida Governor Promotes Daily Physical Fitness: Daily Phys Ed for the Kids is a Good Idea

Florida governor Charlie Crist recently signed a new bill mandating at least thirty minutes of physical education per day for elementary school students. It is refreshing to see a governor prioritize physical education in a curriculum, and it is even more refreshing to see that this bill requires daily activity - not just every other day or semester. Too often physical fitness classes exist only as an hour or two of activity per week. Gov. Crist's insistence on making fitness a regular part of the school day is a timely move. Given America's obesity epidemic, any programs that will foster healthy lifestyles at a young age should be supported.

The benefit of daily P.E., of course, depends on how physical education leaders structure their classes. Reflecting on my own P.E. experiences, I cannot say that I really sweated too hard during my biweekly classes. My classmates and I spent more time aligning ourselves within our assigned squadrons while the teacher took role than we did huffing and puffing on the gym floor. At the beginning and end of each school year, we had fitness tests. Those were the times when I truly worked up a sweat and felt my heart pounding. We had to run a mile, as well as do sit-ups, reach tests, and the dreaded pull-up(s). I understand the importance of developing teamwork skills through games such as Capture the Flag, Kickball, and even Dodge ball, but all of these games allow significant lag time where students simply wait in line or play "defense" (aka standing still).

In high school, my P.E. classes were much more rigorous. We ran laps nearly every class, lifted weights, and played games in smaller groups so that all participants had to make an active effort. I also took an aerobics class where each student had to pair up with another and devise a step aerobics routine. While these classes were designed for a more mature age bracket, it's never too early to encourage basic fitness practices - to integrate the games with the pure aerobics and strength training.

Gov. Crist's bill, and others like it, has the potential to help reverse a national trend toward weight gain. Walk into any elementary school, survey the population, and you'll notice that a growing percentage of the kids are products of unhealthy lifestyles. Watch what kids eat at lunch; nachos, burgers, and pizza find their way onto too many trays. Physical education class can be part of a solution. Educate kids on nutrition, healthy eating. Mix in some days of running and stretching with the team sports. Require kids to run laps at the beginning of class, every class, before engaging in that game of kickball. Then even the youngest kids can see a correlation between how maintaining a basic fitness regime can boost a player's endurance during a team sport.