i_like_1981 wrote:The way I see it, sports-centred PE should be made optional for all students.
I wouldn't say ban PE completely or make it optional for all as that would worsen people's health which is a major concern in today's society. People are apparently getting too fat and spending too much time on the computer and in front of the TV instead of being outside... yeah, two of those three apply to me but I'm definitely not fat even with all the food I eat. I currently weigh about 170 pounds, and that ain't much for a 28-year-old man. But by no means am I healthy. I am lazy.
If people wish to play sports, that is fine. But it should not be forced on those who have no interest. They should be allowed to develop their fitness in other ways such as gym exercise where they do not have to feel threatened by the bigger and more aggressive students. I wish I could have had this option when I was at school. Sadly in central London things weren't exactly a dream world. Having balls thrown at me not as part of the game but to cause me harm and humiliation was a regular routine and did it make me physically fit and "toughen me up" in the end? No. If anything, all that wiped out any drive I may once have had to become physically fit. I hated PE because the school would not allow me to develop my physical ability in the way that would have suited me. And that holds true for many people.
Best regards,
i_like_1981
Not surprisingly, I agree with you wholeheartedly, i_like_1981. Thatâ??s exactly the way I felt when I was required to take mandatory sports-centered P.E., beginning when I was a 4th-grader through junior high. In recent years, though, educators in the United States have finally recognized that the sports-centered approach to P.E. has failed nonathletic students miserably. There now is a movement to reform P.E., a movement whose success is not necessarily assured at this point in time; but there is reason to be hopeful.
I donâ??t think youâ??re lazy. As a matter of fact, I think you could revive the drive you once had (when you were in school) to become physically fit. I seriously recommend that you start some kind of an exercise program. I think youâ??d really enjoy bodybuilding. In fact, I highly recommend it for you. Iâ??m serious. I think you and I have a lot in common. You could buy books on bodybuilding and study on your own, but Iâ??d highly recommend that you join a health club instead and work with a personal trainer. Working with a personal trainer would give you more order than you would have working by yourself. At least that has been my experience.
First of all, you would have to learn how to do all the exercises properly. This is extremely important. When I joined my health club, I knew nothing about weight training. Someone had to show me. I still take a clipboard with me to my workout sessions with my personal trainer in case I need to write something down that I might otherwise forget.
Bodybuilding involves more than just lifting weights. It has become a science. You say that even though you eat a lot of food, you havenâ??t become fat. You sound a lot like me. Your body no doubt burns a lot more calories in a given interval of time than the bodies of most people. That is why you havenâ??t experienced much of a weight gain over the years. You would need to end each day with a calorie surplus so your muscles would be able to repair themselves from the dayâ??s physical exertion and build themselves up. So, as part of your bodybuilding program, you would have to give consideration as to which foods you eat to be sure that your body takes in more calories (from food) than the number of calories your body burns up (through exercise and all the other physical activities of your body). The calorie surplus wouldnâ??t have to be large. I only had to have a calorie surplus of at least 150 calories. You also would be taking at least one protein supplement, vitamins, and other kinds of tablets. A personal trainer would be able to show you how to manage your diet so your bodybuilding program would be effective. By the way, getting enough sleep is also essential in a bodybuilding program.
In general, working with a personal trainer would help you to maintain the self-discipline that would be necessary for your success. You would need to remember that bodybuilding involves persistence, not competition with someone else. There is no competition. Youâ??re only improving yourself. In time you would actually look forward to your workouts, even when your trainer wears you out. But the feeling you will have is a good feeling. You would just have to remember that developing oneâ??s physique takes at least a few years, but you can do it.
What I want to really get across to you is the great difference between health clubs and mandatory
sports-centered P.E. Iâ??ve had the opportunity to work with three different trainers. My first trainer left the health club when he had been admitted to a law school at a university out of state. My second trainer had to quit because his father needed his help with the family business. The point Iâ??m trying to make is that Iâ??ve had experience working with physical trainers. All three of them respected me, even though I was a nonathlete who clearly was out of shape. All three of them have been really decent guys who appreciated me because I did what they told me to do and I worked hard. One of them even said he bragged about me to the other trainers. I say this not to boast about myself, but to point out to you that working with a personal trainer can be a wonderful experience for someone like yourself who had no interest in sports but would like to be physically fit. For me (with my lousy childhood background of pointless mandatory sports-centered P.E.) the health club experience has been downright therapeutic. Iâ??ve learned that I was
not the inherently puny runt I thought I was when I was a kid.
And Iâ??ll tell you something else. No one at my health club, including other members, has ever hassled me. Thatâ??s because every member there is concerned with his own exercise program. Iâ??ve even had complete strangers nod towards me in a friendly manner. I never felt like I belonged in any of my P.E. classes, but I definitely feel like I belong at my health club. I consider myself to be a vindicated gym rat. There are no bullies in a good health club. Iâ??m not saying this is necessarily true of all health clubs. I really donâ??t know one way or the other. But I bet it is true of most of them. This is because health clubs are for nonathletes as well as athletes. In fact, at least half of the members I see at my health club are out of shape. The experience has been absolutely wonderful and psychologically therapeutic for me.
I wish you lived in my vicinity. If you did, Iâ??d give you a personal tour of my health club and help you find a personal trainer. But you should be able to find out if there are any health clubs near or not too far from your home. Iâ??m sure you could do some research or get a recommendation from someone. I donâ??t know how tight your budget is, but the expense would be well worth it. When I was your age, I wish someone had told me then what Iâ??m telling you now. You have a great opportunity to get into shape. I donâ??t think youâ??re lazy. I think you were horribly discouraged in a way that would embitter just about anyone. But the health club experience is totally different. As your good friend, I strongly urge you to go for it.
Best regards,
Earl
I'm fat and sassy! I love to sing & dance & stomp my feet & really rock your world!
)
i love those pics you have good photoshop skills
