Walking for health and fitness (article)

[ChrisOH]

I saw this on MSN this morning -- I enjoy walking, and for me it's another dispelling of the "we need sports to be fit or healthy" myth.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cho ... ageindex=1

[Indurrago]

Crap, got me on the first slide. Got a history of diabetes from my father's side actually.

[ChrisOH]

Crap, got me on the first slide. Got a history of diabetes from my father's side actually.

I've had family histories of diabetes on from both parents -- so far, my blood sugar's normal, but I get tested every six months and my doctor has stressed the need for me to pay attention to my diet and activity level because of that.

[Earl]

The doctor who diagnosed my diabetic condition (type II) said that the best form of exercise for people who have diabetes is to take a brisk, nonstop walk lasting for about an hour every day.

I wish people would realize that promoting sports and promoting physical fitness are not one and the same. Forcing nonathletic kids to participate in sports against their will is not going to help them become healthy. Instead, they become discouraged and frequently don't exercise at all. How many of those who insist upon mandatory P.E. recognize this fact? Apparently, only a few. They really don't care about the physical fitness needs of nonathletes. What jerks they are!

[i_like_1981]

As cynical as I may sound, I have often just viewed PE in schools as a singular way for the dim, athletic and obnoxious students to achieve some form of success in an academic setting. If it was truly physical education, they would base the curriculum more around developing fitness instead of getting everyone to play team sports every lesson. PE, in my experience, does not constitute an actual subject. There's no "education" about it, really, and like you say, Earl, forcing some students to do these games when they quite clearly won't gain from it is only likely to further discourage them from improving their fitness. PE these days just doesn't focus on the "education" aspect at all. And I don't believe things are improving here in the UK. At least, not as far as I know.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[Fat Man]

PE, Physical "Education" is as about as educational as playing in a sandbox.

And even if your gym does provide some regular exercise, like calisthenics, you don't even need to be able to count any higher than four!

Yeah! Now, that's really educational, isn't it!