A whole minute and a half!
That’s how much longer it takes today’s kids to run a mile than it did children 30 years ago.
An analysis of studies of children around the world found that heart-related fitness for children ages 9 to 17 has dropped 5 percent each decade since 1975. Running is a good indicator of cardiovascular health.
The analysis found the U.S. isn’t alone in raising a generation of inactive couch-potatoes who play video games and watch TV after school instead of playing outside or participating in active after-school programs. It’s a world-wide problem. Asia accounted for about 20 million of the 25 million children in the studies.
If you think kids in New Mexico are going to be turned on at school to being active and fit, think again. Physical education in elementary schools varies widely – in some cases only one class a week. And just one unit of P.E. over four years of high school is required to graduate in New Mexico.
A recent controversy over a change in graduation requirements that is phasing out marching band as a P.E. substitute has put the topic in the spotlight locally.But the fact is that without daily physical education that promotes lifetime fitness habits, the effect of one class unit is virtually nil.
As P.E. is practiced in New Mexico, it isn’t really effective. Educators should either find a way to make it a meaningful exercise, or ditch this class.
This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
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