Eve Topic Importance Of Physical Education

Physical fitness helps students to learn healthy habits, but physical education students do not participate as intensely as they should in physical fitness activities. Although being physically fit can improve the quality of life, most students do not enjoy participating in fitness activities in physical education classes. Woodson-Smith, Dorwart, and Linder found that 42% of girls did not like doing conditioning activities in class (2015). The number one response for most disliked fitness activity from a questionnaire given to 8th grade students at school was running. Students in physical education classes have always enjoyed playing sports and games much more than they do participating in fitness activities. When playing sports and games, students are grouped into teams. Teams offer the opportunity for students to teach, encourage, and support each other. Often, students participate in physical fitness activities by themselves. …show more content…
Physical fitness is an important part of physical education classes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20.5% of adolescents between the ages of 12-19 years old are obese (2012). The obesity rate has remained fairly stable for the past decade (CDC 2012). To help combat the obesity rates in the United States, the physical education curriculum includes teaching students about the components of physical fitness and gives students the opportunity to participate in physical fitness activities. For some students, the physical activity that they participate with in class is the only physical activity that they consistently get. Through physical education classes, students can learn the principles of physical fitness and have the opportunity to see that with some work they can improve their own physical fitness levels. This knowledge can be carried by a student throughout their lives and can help them to have healthy