By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015
Physical education refers to the instruction of physical activities and games in school. Physical education has many benefits for elementary and high schools students.
Physical education is used to denote the courses in school in which students receive instruction and practice in physical exercise in order to promote good health. Physical education is important now more than ever. Society is highly sedentary. This means that many people do not get enough physical activity. Students rely on computers, iPads and smartphones evermore today. While using these devices, they are usually sitting down for long periods of time. This is not healthy. Physical education works to get students to workout on a regular basis. In school, physical education could take the form of games in the gym. For example, children can play dodgeball as a way to get physical activity. With recent obesity rates, physical education is an important way to combat it. Here are the important reasons why physical education is needed.
Physical Fitness Improvement
Physical education is a great way to improve muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. Working out on a consistent basis is a great way to stay healthy. In schools, physical education instructors find creative ways to incorporate physical activity as part of the curriculum. They use fun activities, such as dodgeball, as a way to get students to move in a cardiovascular manner. This type of physical activity helps students develop motor skills, which in turn assists them in all types of physical activities.
Stress ReductionThere is no doubt that carrying a full course load at school can be stressful. Sometimes, students feel overwhelmed with the amount of work needed to satisfy curriculum requirements. Physical education is one way to release this stress. It is an outlet for releasing anxiety and tension. It helps facilitate the stability and well-being of students. Students, who partake in physical education, may not even be aware that they are reducing stress. For them, they are taking part in a fun game of dodgeball. However, the very activity itself releases beneficial serotonin, which helps relieve stress.
Improvement of Student Relationships
Physical education assists students with socialization. While students are participating in physical activities on a team, they are helping each other achieve a common goal. This type of pitching in for a common goal builds teamwork. It provides students with an opportunity to gain positive skills in dealing with people. These are skills that would be will need throughout their entire lives. The same skills that students use in building their relationships in the gym, they will use while building up their team in the workplace later on in their lives. Different types of physical activities such as dances help older students reinforce teamwork.
Improved Self-esteem
Physical education is a great way to help students build self-esteem. It instills a sense of well-being and self-worth in students. While students are learning new things in the gym and mastering it, they are reinforcing their self-esteem. Students, who partake in physical education, are confident, independent, self-controlled and assertive. These are all skills that work well while playing dodgeball in the gym. The good news is that these are skills that students can take away from the gym and use in their everyday lives.
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