More Variety for Kennedy PE Classes

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Kickball. Stretching. Walking briskly. Team sports. Dancing. Nothing beats the feeling one gets from working up a good sweat. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least sixty minutes of physical activity each day. However, many of today's youth have somehow gotten lost in the world of tablets, video games, and endless hours of staring contests with televisions. With all of these new time-consuming gadgets, daily physical activity has been placed on the back burner.* As many of my family's elder statesmen have frankly stated, "This new generation needs to exercise more!" It sounds harsh, but it's true. Many of my friends would rather be sitting in front of a gadget than exercising to help keep their bodies strong and healthy. The writing is clearly on the wall. We get it. Physical activity needs to be a top priority.

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By no means am I the model of physical fitness, but I am an advocate for optimizing health. Between studying, chores, spending time with family, after-school clubs, social networking, and other miscellaneous "to-do" lists, most teens barely have time to squeeze in sleep, let alone any other daily activities. Yet according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), physical activity in adolescents improves strength and endurance, helps build strong bones, reduces stress, increases self-esteem, and it is also known to increase brain function. I'd love to reduce stress. I'd love to have strong bones. I'd love to increase brainpower. I'd love to be as fit as a fiddle. Be that as it may, many adolescents find it difficult to prioritize exercise, and we depend on getting those sixty minutes of daily physical activity at school.

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Many schools are increasing physical fitness by providing comprehensive programs, increasing physical activities in classrooms, and providing opportunities for students to participate in intramural sports. This is not the case here at Kennedy Middle School. Variety is the spice of life, and a major concern at our school is that we simply do not have a balanced assortment of physical activities to choose from. We are forced to take the same colorless physical education classes year after year. At our school, gym simply consists of a sixty-minute tutorial on team sports. Granted, most of us appreciate the opportunity to exercise and learn about physical education. However, research proves that variety in exercise routines increases motivation. Even though schools provide an opportunity for students to exercise, there are students who are just not interested in traditional PE courses. Physical activity just isn't enjoyable. Many of my peers would certainly appreciate the flexibility of choosing from a list of accessible PE courses that uniquely meet each individual's needs. Accommodating the personal needs of each student is difficult, but lengthening the playing field will encourage more students to be active. Don't choose for us. Give us the choice.

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Why not offer yoga as an option for PE? Teens should be able to practice yoga for the same reason adults do: to reduce stress. Teens need to relax too, and yoga is an excellent way to relax the mind and body. For outdoor enthusiasts, offer a course that includes all outdoor activities such as rock climbing, hiking, and biking. This may appeal to students who have done these activities on their own or those who simply want to try something new. Include a year-long walking or jogging course in which students can participate in a 5K race by the end of the year. There is no greater feeling than setting a goal and crossing the finish line. General aerobics sounds like fun, too.

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Kennedy Middle School, increase student motivation to exercise at school by offering more variety. Encourage students to choose exercise over nonphysical activities by offering a more desirable range of PE classes. I guarantee you will see more students who are desperate to get the recommended amount of daily exercise. Dancing and music runs through my veins. If Kennedy Middle School offered a dance aerobics class, I'd be the first to sign up!

* back burner: Something placed on the "back burner" is something that is not urgent—something that is set aside to be dealt with later.







(From "More Variety for Kennedy PE Classes", Illuminate)

Question: What is the central idea of the text?

Responses

Kids at Kennedy Middle School don't get to exercise much during the day.
Kids at Kennedy Middle School don't get to exercise much during the day.

Kids at Kennedy Middle School would like to do more exercise at school if they could choose what to do.
Kids at Kennedy Middle School would like to do more exercise at school if they could choose what to do.

Not all students at Kennedy Middle School enjoy team sports; some prefer running, walking, or doing yoga.
Not all students at Kennedy Middle School enjoy team sports; some prefer running, walking, or doing yoga.

The teachers and principals at Kennedy Middle School do care about their students' physical fitness.