the new physical education

8/9/2019 The New Physical Education

1/9

The New Physical Education

Leslie T. Lambert

Rethinking how we teach physical education can help students lead healthy

lives.

Regular physical activity provides numerous health benefitsfrom leaner bodies and

lower blood pressure to improved mental health and cognitive functioning. Even

though we know these facts, however, Americans are becoming more sedentary and

more obese each year (Mokdad et al., !!!". #ecause the school physical education

program promotes physical activity and can teach skills as well as form or change

behaviors, it holds an important key to influencing health and well$being across the

life span. %o improve the fitness of students, we need to rethink the design and

delivery of school$based physical education programs.

A recent survey asked adults in the &nited 'tates, )hat should be taught to

students prior to their graduation* +articipants indicated that information about

health was more important for students to learn than content in language arts,

mathematics, science, history, or any other subect (Mar-ano /endall, !!0".

1espite this high ranking, most schools devote minimal curriculum time to teaching

students how to lead healthy lives.

.%o provide healthy$lifestyle education, a 2uality program of physical education must

be a core re2uirement in all schools and a central component in a comprehensive

school health program (Allensworth /olbe, !03". 4ur first step might be to

consider ways to increase curriculum time devoted to physical education. 5n addition,

schools need to thoughtfully analy-e the design and delivery of school physical

education programs to ensure that they are engaging, developmentally appropriate,

inclusive, and instructionally powerful and that they are designed to teach students

about the importance of leading physically active lives.

The Importance of Physical Activity

4ne of the most emphatic recommendations in reports from numerous federal and

health promotion agencies is to increase the levels of physical activity among

children and youth. +hysical inactivity results in substantial, negative health

conse2uences. 4besity, high blood glucose, high blood pressure, and high blood

lipids all occur more often among sedentary adults. %hese problems increase the risk


2/9

for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, various cancers, %ype 55

diabetes, and hypertension. 5ndeed, a direct relationship e6ists between leading a

physically active life and developing long$term good health. Each year, physical

inactivity contributes to nearly 789,999 deaths in the &nited 'tates (:enters for

1isease :ontrol and +revention, !!3". &nhealthy behaviors take many years to

present themselves clinically, but there is a compelling reason to believe that helping

students learn to be active early in their lives will provide an important foundation for

lifetime physical activity.

;uidelines suggest that children and youth need at least


3/9

ensure that our children and youth have every opportunity to learn how to lead

healthy lives* %hese are important 2uestions that every school district and every

school needs to ask.

Cuality physical education programs are essential in helping students gain

competence and confidence in a variety of movement forms, such as sports, dance,

recreational activities, and fitness activities. %he Dational Association for 'port and

+hysical Education (DA'+E, !!=" has developed national standards for physical

education that define a physically educated person (see fig. ". %hese standards

acknowledge the students motor, fitness, cognitive, affectiveFbehavioral, and active

lifestyle needs, and they focus on the importance of lifetime involvement in physical

activity. %hey provide a sound framework for the design of physical education

programs and assessments that help students learn and demonstrate their

movement knowledge and skills, their fitness levels, and their habits and values

related to physical fitness.

.!efine Physical "itness

Physical fitnesscan be defined as a general state of healthand well$being or more

specifically as the ability to perform aspects of sports or occupations. +hysical fitness

is generally achieved through correct nutrition,e6ercise, hygieneand rest. 5t is a set

of attributes or characteristics seen in people and which relate to the ability to

perform a given set of physical activities.

#efore the industrial revolution, fitness was the capacity to carry out the dayGs

activities without undue fatigue. owever with automation and changes in

lifestyles physical fitness is now considered a measure of the bodyGs ability to

function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy,to

resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations.

#. The definition of $ealth%Related "itness

According to the American &ollege of 'ports (edicine )A&'(*+ ineffective

definitions containing unclear and su,-ective wordings+ as well as definitions

comprising terms that themselves reuire defining+ have contri,uted to

confounding the term /physical fitness./

There is no relia,le guide for $ealth and "itness professionals to measure

/physical fitness/+ ,ecause the term has ,een so loosely and inconsistently
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_sportshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_exercisehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygienehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypokinetic_diseaseshttp://www.acsm.org/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_sportshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_exercisehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygienehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypokinetic_diseaseshttp://www.acsm.org/


4/9


5/9

.:AR154RE'+5RA%4RH ED1&RAD:E$is the ability of the circulatory andrespiratory systems to supply o6ygen during sustained physical activity.

7.M&':&>AR '%RED;%$is the ma6imum amount of force a muscle canproduce in a single effort.


6/9

A;5>5%H

$ ability to rapidly change the position of the body

#A>AD:E

$ ability to keep from falling when a person is in a still position or moving

:44R15DA%54D $ ability to use the senses together with body parts during movement

REA:%54D %5ME $ time it takes a person to move

after they hear, see, feel or touch a stimulus

'+EE1

$ ability to move 2uickly

+4)ER $

ability to combine strength and speed

The definition of health%related fitness also shows this concept1s integral

association with /good health./ $owever+ the 3 components are addressed

individually ,y health professionals to allow for their measurement.

Now we know what the term means+ ,ut what purpose does it serve8


7/9

&ontinuing from the definition a,ove+ the o,-ective of measuring the

components is to advise clients a,out the state of their health%related fitness %and to use data o,tained from the tests to design appropriate e5ercise

programs which can then ,e evaluated.

It is intended that all 3 components contri,ute evenly to make up a holistic

health%related physical fitness.

'o in sum+ health%related physical fitness is of interest to the health of the

ordinary citi9en+ in that the concept is normative.

It is therefore important for those working in the health and fitness

industry notto mistake /overall physical fitness/ with /health%related physicalfitness./

Regular or planned physical e5ercise can improve overall physical fitness as

well ashealth%related fitness. $owever+ overall fitness is a generic term and is

up to su,-ective interpretation+ while health%related fitness can ,e assessed.

The distinction therefore+ ,etween the terms+ e5ists in that health%related

physical fitness can ,e measured according to a set of esta,lished

:.Physical Education Teacher4 ;o, !escription < Reuirements


8/9

+hysical education teachers re2uire some formal education. >earn about the

education, ob duties and licensure re2uirements to see if this is the right career for

you.

Essential Information

+hysical education teachers help children develop physical abilities and healthyhabits that can last for the rest of their lives. #ecoming a physical education teacher

generally entails completion of a bachelors degree program and state licensure.

5nternship e6perience is also usually re2uired.

the differences between teaching and coaching occur mainly in the depth ofknowledge transfer and the focus of that transfer. %here are also differences betweenthe level of 2ualification and the focus of those 2ualifications between teaching andcoaching, as well as the financial reward for each.

owever, the main similarities lie in the fact that teaching and coaching are bothessentially athlete$centred and e6cellent communication and planning skills are needfor both. %eaching and coaching are, in my view, both worthwhile and rewarding, and5 am proud to do both.

=. 5f you want to improve your physical fitness, but you find the idea of e6ercise

overwhelming, it may help you to know e6ercise and physical activity are not the

same thingyet both are beneficial to your health.

E5erciseis a physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and

purposeful. Physical activityincludes any body movement that contracts your

muscles to burn more calories than your body would normally do so ust to e6ist at

rest. Although learning to enoy and plan structured e6ercise into your routine would

definitely improve fitness, it is not the only way to improve fitness.

Everyday physical activities such as performing housework, walking, or taking a hike

keep your body moving and still count toward the recommended amount of weekly

physical activity.

Most importantly, no matter what your current fitness level, you are able to improveyour physical fitnessand, therefore, your heart healthby increasing physical

activity andFor e6ercise as you are able.

8.


9/9

the new physical education

Documents