Increase The Mandatory Years Of PE

BINTA DIALLO, LEANNE ANG STAFF WRITERS
As high school students progress from one grade level to another, they find themselves worrying less about their health and focusing more on academics. Students rarely have the time to consider participating in physical activities which can lead to detrimental results in the near future. In order to keep students healthy and active, high schools should consider the increase of mandatory P.E. classes taken over the course of high school.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 21.6 percent of children and adolescents from ages six to 19 in the United States exercise on a daily basis. This shows that it is rare for students to take part in physical activity and that there is a need to increase the amount of physical education. By mandatory four years of P.E. instead of the standard two, more high school students would have no choice but to participate in physical activity–in which is meant for their own benefit.
From a young age, students were taught the benefits of exercising regularly. However, as they grow older they soon forget its importance which, according to CDC, could be “better grades [and] cognitive performance [as well as] reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.” Not only does exercising on a daily basis improve mental health, but physical as well, students are bound to have better weight control, stronger bones and coordination. High school administrations should take into consideration the health of their students and the benefits exercising more often can bring them in the long run. Requiring just two years of exercise one hour a day for five days a week is not enough for a child to stay healthy. Also, if the requirement is changed to four years, then students will most likely be more used to this daily routine of exercising, that they will even start doing it on their own after high school.
Another crucial reason the increase of the mandatory years of physical education should be implemented is because physical education is an amazing way to release stress for not only adults, but children. According to the Mayo Clinic, any form of exercise can act as a stress reliever. This definitely is needed for high school students, considering they are stressed with their workload and their classes during the day. Physical education classes are the time where students can take their well deserved break from their school work. Most of the time, while exercising socialization between peers is also done, so in a sense this is almost like “relaxation” time.
Exercising should not merely only be a small requirement, and that is exactly what the school system makes it seem like by making the minimum amount two years. In order to ensure that students get the full exercise education they need, the minimum requirement should be changed to four years, with the levels continuously becoming more demanding. This way students are able to get more exercise in doing their four years of high school, and hopefully will be influenced enough to continue after graduating.