As the years progress, the younger generation seems to take on a noticeable change. Changing sideways, that is. While the childhood obesity rate has not increased, it has not gone down either, and the government has decided to enforce the Daily Physical Activity program. Its objective is to decrease the obesity rate, and encourage the younger generation to view exercise as a daily part of a healthy life. However, I am not completely satisfied with the way the DPA program works. First of all, it is unreasonable to say that home, lunch, and break activity does not count as physical exercise for students Kindergarten to Grade 9. Just running around or walking, especially for younger students, is an excellent way to achieve the daily amount of exercise needed each day. Regarding 150 minutes a week of exercise for students from Grade 10 to 12, it is also not as effective as it could be. While older students are expected to take more responsibility, they can, and will easily lie about physical activity when it comes to writing a number down on a piece of paper.
There has been talk of making PE a required course for senior students. While the goal is to implement exercise into students' lives, this also is not very effective. I myself understand that many students, especially girls, are not very interested or not as capable in participating in the sports and activities of PE classes. Females in particular will care about their appearance more as they grow older, and will not wish to sweat it out and engage in aggressive 'warfare' with their classmates. There are also males that do not participate in much physical activity. The main point is that even if PE is mandatory for senior students, it doesn't guarantee all students will achieve their needed amount of DPA, especially if they end up standing around in the corner of a playing field. The Alberta Education mentioned that DPA should take into account each student's ability, and allow for student choice. An effective strategy would be to take a school survey of which physical activities students enjoy the best, and also any physical limitations (ie. asthma, disabilities), and then try to incorporate the most popular and efficient activities into the school system. Teachers can even be encouraged to allow for some more physical involvement during in class time. Furthermore, talks should be held to have students be more aware of the damaging effects of obesity. They should be notified that lack of proper physical activity can lead to numerous physical, emotional, and psychological risks. Instead of delivering information to them by reading from a paper, ask them face to face if they want to lead a life controlled by diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, improper body development, difficulty sleeping, eating disorders (ie. anorexia, bulimia), constant teasing from peers, and even suicidal tendencies. Tell the students that the next time they're tempted to snack on junk food, they should consider exercising for even a short while, instead of satisfying themselves with the latest flavour of chips that will eventually betray their life with a horrible death of strokes, heart disease, or heart failure. For all the people that believe academic education takes first priority, let them know that proper exercise will result in higher success, in school and work. As we all know, success is extremely important in the modern society. Last but not least, parents can take an active part in helping with DPA requirements by limiting technology time (incidentally a good time for snacking), encouraging fun outdoor activities, and stocking up on a variety of healthy but delicious foods. I am aware that I myself need to exercise more, and perhaps my own lifestyle may not be the healthiest. My motivation is that I want to have a healthy, good appearance and a lean body to be confident about. Also, as I get older, I can enjoy the benefits of a healthy life such as being attune to nature while jogging with a dog or friends, and hopefully live a long, satisfying life! The younger generation of our time needs to step away from a weight gaining nation, to ensure they can decrease the amount of junk food to feel the freedom of a healthy life.
There has been talk of making PE a required course for senior students. While the goal is to implement exercise into students' lives, this also is not very effective. I myself understand that many students, especially girls, are not very interested or not as capable in participating in the sports and activities of PE classes. Females in particular will care about their appearance more as they grow older, and will not wish to sweat it out and engage in aggressive 'warfare' with their classmates. There are also males that do not participate in much physical activity. The main point is that even if PE is mandatory for senior students, it doesn't guarantee all students will achieve their needed amount of DPA, especially if they end up standing around in the corner of a playing field. The Alberta Education mentioned that DPA should take into account each student's ability, and allow for student choice. An effective strategy would be to take a school survey of which physical activities students enjoy the best, and also any physical limitations (ie. asthma, disabilities), and then try to incorporate the most popular and efficient activities into the school system. Teachers can even be encouraged to allow for some more physical involvement during in class time. Furthermore, talks should be held to have students be more aware of the damaging effects of obesity. They should be notified that lack of proper physical activity can lead to numerous physical, emotional, and psychological risks. Instead of delivering information to them by reading from a paper, ask them face to face if they want to lead a life controlled by diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, improper body development, difficulty sleeping, eating disorders (ie. anorexia, bulimia), constant teasing from peers, and even suicidal tendencies. Tell the students that the next time they're tempted to snack on junk food, they should consider exercising for even a short while, instead of satisfying themselves with the latest flavour of chips that will eventually betray their life with a horrible death of strokes, heart disease, or heart failure. For all the people that believe academic education takes first priority, let them know that proper exercise will result in higher success, in school and work. As we all know, success is extremely important in the modern society. Last but not least, parents can take an active part in helping with DPA requirements by limiting technology time (incidentally a good time for snacking), encouraging fun outdoor activities, and stocking up on a variety of healthy but delicious foods. I am aware that I myself need to exercise more, and perhaps my own lifestyle may not be the healthiest. My motivation is that I want to have a healthy, good appearance and a lean body to be confident about. Also, as I get older, I can enjoy the benefits of a healthy life such as being attune to nature while jogging with a dog or friends, and hopefully live a long, satisfying life! The younger generation of our time needs to step away from a weight gaining nation, to ensure they can decrease the amount of junk food to feel the freedom of a healthy life.
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