Originally Published July 29, 2004 -- Your Wellness
Guide
Back to School --
Recess and P.E. Critical to Success
|
Not
only adults but also children need physical activity in order to
stay happy, healthy, and focused. If you have children of your own,
this wont come as a surprise. However, one out of every four
school-age children are being severely limited in the amount of
physical activity allowed during the school day.
Many
elementary schools have completely pulled their physical education
programs either due to no funding, lack of administrative interest,
or funds needing to be directed toward keeping up with standardized
testing requirements. For some schools, P.E. has got the wrong
idea, such as one school in Northwest Florida where the children
play video games for P.E. |
Recess is
another cutback. Schools are rigorously restricting or completely
eliminating recess altogether. In one Arizona elementary school, children
are constrained from running on concrete playgrounds due to fears of falls
and resulting lawsuits.
Says Dr.
Melinda Bossenmeyer of California State University San Marcos, Every
decade or so educators stumble upon a really bad idea. The elimination of
recess is one such current example. After hearing about coach potatoes,
sedentary kids, youth obesity, video game- playing zombies for the last
ten years -- take away recess? It simply doesn't make any sense.
If your
school is showing any of these trends, take note -- children need to jump,
play, laugh, throw balls, and enjoy themselves outdoors. And if your
child is showing low grades and signs of restlessness, new studies show
daily fitness equals better report cards and more-focused children.
|
The
National Association for the Education on Young Children identified
several benefits of recess and active play for children:
Improved Learning
-- children learn better when using the mind and the body.
More
Relaxation
-- play reduces tension.
Healthier Emotions
-- children work out emotional aspects of their lives easier through
unstructured play.
Increased Perceptual and Problem Solving Abilities
-- experiencing the whole world around them versus a microcosm of
computers and books is a powerful mode of learning.
Dr.
Nadine Gelberg, a sports technology expert, says, Physical
activity is really a part of critical thought, including (the
process of) intellectually understanding the physical activities,
noting that critical thought is engaged when you move your body,
play a game together, bounce a ball a certain way, or test your
physical endurance. |
(Photo Courtesy: Nike)
NBA Player LeBron James helps kick off a PE2GO
event at an elementary school in Akron, Ohio. |
A group
called SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids) along with the
support of Nike has developed a new physical education program for kids
called PE2GO in which children dont stand on the sidelines waiting to
play but all enjoy physical activity together. With a long-term goal to
get P.E. back into every school in the nation, Gary DeStefano, president
of Nike USA Operations, would like to see companies, organizations, and
the government work together to bring P.E. classes taught by P.E.
specialists back to schools.
Talk to your
school, district, or state education office to get P.E. and recess back
into your school. Here are some resources to get you going:
Get Charged
--
www.getcharged.com
Peaceful
Playgrounds --
www.peacefulplaygrounds.com
PE2GO --
www.sparkpe.org or
www.nikego.com
PE4Life --
www.pe4life.com
Terra
Wellington
is a
national authority on creating a wellness lifestyle.
www.terrawellington.com
© Copyright Terra
Wellington