Shari
Summary of “Top 10 Reasons for Quality Physical Education”
Article by Guy Le Masurier and Charles B. Corbin*


This article was written to provide teachers with information to use in communicating the importance of physical education in school. The authors stress that it needs to be a quality physical education program, based on standards and following appropriate instructional guidelines. They provide ten reasons why children need physical education in school. They are as follows:

1. Regular Physical Activity Helps Prevent Disease
-helps students develop healthy habits that will last their entire life
-gives students the skills and knowledge they need to remain physically active
-students develop positive attitudes toward physical activity which continue
throughout their lives

2. Regular Physical Activity Promotes Lifetime Wellness
-children who are physically active have better self-esteem
-there is a positive relationship between physical activity and self-concept

3. Quality Physical Education Can Help Fight Obesity

4. Quality Physical Education Can Help Promote Lifelong Physical Fitness
-children with low activity levels are more likely to have low activity levels as
adults
-physical education classes are a good place to expose students to physical
activity in a fun, healthy atmosphere

5. Quality Physical Education Provides Unique Opportunities for Activity
-students who are active in physical education class are more likely to be active
outside of school

6. Quality Physical Education Teaches Self-Management and Motor Skills
-through physical education, students learn the skills they need to manage their
own daily activities and healthy living practices
-if students are taught motor skills, they are more likely to participate in physical
activities as adults because they will have the skills they need to participate

7. Physical Activity and Physical Education Promote Learning
-results of a recent study in California found that there was a positive relationship
between overall fitness and academic achievement
-other studies have found that physical education has either a positive or neutral
effect on academic performance
-studies have not found lower test scores as a result of taking time for physical
education in the curriculum

8. Regular Physical Activity Participation Makes Economic Sense
-physical inactivity and poor nutrition are the second leading cause of death in
our society
-chronic diseases caused by inactivity and poor nutrition increase health care
expenses
-physical education can be thought of as a method of disease prevention because
it addresses these problems

9. Physical Education is Widely Endorsed
-Professional, government, and private groups support physical education in
schools
-A recent survey of parents found that 91% of parents felt there should be more
physical education in schools

10. Quality Physical Education Helps to Educate the Total Child
-there is a relationship between the health of the body and the health of the mind
-both the body and the mind must be addressed when educating a child



*This article can be found at: http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/pdf_files/top10reasonsforQualityPE.pdf