{Associated Press}
Injuries to American children during physical education classes increased by 150 percent from 1997-2007. Yet, that may have less to do with lively gym programs than with lack of adult supervision, experts said. A decline in school nurses and larger class sizes could be to blame, said the study’s senior author Lara McKenzie of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “Children got hurt by running into equipment or having contact with structures or other persons,” McKenzie said. “They had heat stroke, fainting and heart palpitations.”
My thoughts: School programs are continuously being cut from school funding, while the increases for science and technology classes are on the rise. I agree that these are important, but balance is needed. No wonder these kids are getting hurt. They can't physically sustain movement, they lack body awareness, and they're simply no longer required to "play." WHY? Fast food, computers, and video games have taken over the pastime of our youth. The days of playtime and recess are almost obsolete. The foundation of exercise and being active is being replaced in schools. PERFECT! Let's teach our kiddos not to move and how to be even more socially disengaged from their peers.
Here is something to ponder. I have more clients come to me from the technology sector in need of stress relief, yearning for weight loss, suffering from back pain, and desperate for something to get them moving again. Are we really educating our youth, or are we setting them up for physical and mental breakdowns? You be the judge.