This past week, Q-line asked:
A recent state report on the physical fitness of fifth, seventh and ninth grade students throughout the state found that not even half of Santa Monica’s students could pass all six requirements of the test. What do you think about the state of physical education in schools? What role should parents be playing?
Here are your responses:
“Children and teenagers of school age, by the most part, get sufficient exercise on a daily basis just following their routine of walking and running. Still, the worst form of exercise is just sitting, and a good many children, young adults, and adults do just that — sitting in front of video games, computers, and various other forms of electronic devices, including television. Electronic devices will improve the brain, but do very little to improve one’s anatomical, bone and muscle structure. Still again, the cornerstone and foundation for good physical fitness is a balanced diet of nutritious food that is hard to come by due to overprocessing and then fortification with vitamins. Finding nutritious food requires effort on part of the parent. No junk food allowed — good luck on that one.”
“Parents should tell their lazy kids to get off their fat butts and get out and get some exercise.”
“I think that mastery of the basics ... should be a high school graduation requirement. That is my suggestion.”
“I blame the parents especially those parents who drive their children every day rather than giving them the exercise of walking or cycling to school. Some parents are really fearful — they imagine the streets to be a dangerous environment but this ridiculous behavior leads to poor physical fitness and many more health challenges in the future. Let’s all walk and cycle to school, let’s get rid of this sorry parade of anxious parents chauffeuring their children to school and physical fitness will improve.”
