After sitting on my couch for two weeks and watching endless amounts of Olympic coverage, I decided to make some positive changes in my life. I decided that if there were people my age who can perform triple lutzes, there was no reason why I couldn't be in better physical shape.
I was inspired, and so I marched myself down to the local gym and signed up for one of those blood wrenching 3-year contracts.
On my first day at the new gym, just as I had finished my run on the treadmill, one of the gym's personal trainers approached me. Like a car salesman in the middle of a recession, he slowly eased into his proposition. "How would you like to have a body like Britney Spears?" he asked.
What?! Did he actually say that? Before I could respond with some quick-witted remark, the trainer cut me off. "With a series of personal training sessions, you could have a body like hers in no time … and this month, we're running a special, only $35 dollars a session." I looked at him, and for a moment I was intrigued. Maybe that's what I needed to help get me into shape, personal training.
I pondered this idea for a moment and then I took a long look at the man who was promising to make me look like a pop star. He was short and stocky with a good-sized beer belly. His breathing was labored, and he appeared exhausted from his walk across the gym. All of a sudden, the dream of looking like Britney Spears was shattered. How could someone who clearly hasn't grasped the concept of physical health instruct me on how to be in better shape? The whole situation was ridiculous. So with a scowl on my face, I mumbled something to the trainer and went home to eat ice cream.
While this situation may seem a litter far fetched, the truth of the matter is that this type of situation occurs everyday, not only in private gyms, but also in public schools.
Recently, the Arizona Republic published an article detailing the need for stronger physical education programs in the public school sector. Currently, most elementary school students only receive 30 minutes of physical education twice a week, while middle school students have PE everyday, but only for one semester.
This situation is one of the possible factors contributing to the increase in the number of children who are currently overweight. In a study conducted in 1999, researchers found that 13 percent of children under the age of 11 were overweight, while 14 percent of adolescents suffered from the same problem. The bottom line is that like adults, children have become more sedentary and less motivated to engage in physical activity. Why play outside when one has Playstation?
In response to this problem, groups like the National Association for Sports and Physical Education are trying to encourage districts to integrate more PE time into the curriculum. However, with the rigorous demands of academic curriculums, making this shift is incredibly difficult.
While I completely agree with the National Association's perspective on the issue and the fact that more physical education is needed in the public schools, I also believe that there needs to be greater control over the types of instructors in charge of PE.
PE teachers, like classroom teachers, are role models for students. Ideally, they should be representations of how being physically fit is a healthy lifestyle choice. But unfortunately this is not always the case. Oftentimes, PE teachers are just as lethargic as their students and are not always in the best physical shape.
Virtually every PE teacher I can recall having was either overweight, incredibly bitter about life or extremely out of shape. These were definitely, not the most positive qualities to have in a class where one is supposed to be teaching the benefits of good physical health.
Not only do districts need to incorporate stronger physical education programs in their schools, but they also need to ensure that teachers in charge of PE are good role models for their students. Perhaps, if children are further encouraged and motivated to be physically active, we can soon have a more active society, rather than a lethargic one.
Karen Engler is a graduate student studying literature. Reach her at karen.engler@asu.edu.
