BACK to School Tip#3: P.E.

Kids are either in one camp, or the other.  I’m not talking about summer camp or sports camp, but more like a “faction.”  Ask any kid around the country this simple question prepare for a polarizing answer: “What’s your favorite class?” Most reply with recess; and what’s a close cousin to recess? P.E.  – the physical education institutionalized to keep kids healthy and coordinated.  

However, PE classes and recess are being cut at an alarming rate in the recent years.  Concurrently,  recess, art and music are find themselves left in back in the 90’s..

I understand for some kids, PE is a nightmare. In fact just Google Ways to Avoid PE, and you’ll be shocked at the list of reasons that you might get a free pass.  Among the tops reasons are: faking an injury, getting your parent’s to write you a note citing that you’re medically unfit to participate and finally, conveniently “forgetting” your gear.

Getting kids to participate in physical activity has never been more important than it is today.  With childhood obesity on the rise and injury due to single sport players, modern kids pale in comparison to their predecessors in terms of coordination and endurance.

So in order to get the most out of P.E., follow these simple rules from Back Pain Clinic Belleville’s Dr. Fast:

1. Physical Education Improves Test Scores: Regular activity during the school day is strongly associated with higher concentration levels as well as more directed, composed behavior. A statewide policy in North Carolina required that children from kindergarten to eighth grade participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day. A survey of school representatives from 106 of the state’s school districts reported that the most recognizable benefit of the mandate was “improved academic focus.”
2. Mindful Moments Develop Character: In addition to improved flexibility and endurance, yoga teaches students to become in tune with their bodies, meditative qualities that promote coping skills, as well as, coordination that technology has made obsolete.
3. Regular Exercise in School Leads to Healthier Adults: When kids experience the benefits of regular exercise, self-discipline and goal setting, they carry these traits into the rest of their adult lives.  Just because a school program has a particular set of gym-style options, doesn’t mean that couldn’t spark a love of bike riding or kayaking in an outside.

As you close the year, be good to your body and your kids will be good to their bodies too!