{"id":68852,"date":"2023-07-04T01:47:26","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T05:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=68852"},"modified":"2023-07-04T01:47:26","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T05:47:26","slug":"pe-at-school-isnt-like-adult-exercise-but-maybe-it-should-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/pe-at-school-isnt-like-adult-exercise-but-maybe-it-should-be\/","title":{"rendered":"PE at school isn\u2019t like adult exercise \u2013 but maybe it should be"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Physical education (PE) is a fundamental part of school life. It\u2019s more than just a series of lessons about how to kick a ball or run around a track. It should provide the\u00a0crucial groundwork<\/a>\u00a0for a lifetime of physical activity. Often, though, the sport that children do in PE doesn\u2019t bear much resemblance to the physical activity we do as adults.<\/p>\n

Historically, PE lessons have had a strong emphasis on\u00a0team sports<\/a>\u00a0such as football and rugby. These sports undoubtedly have their merits, including promoting teamwork and competition.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0recent data from Sport England<\/a>\u00a0shows that adults tend to participate more in\u00a0fitness activities<\/a>\u00a0such as circuit training, Pilates or weights, as well as running, walking and active travel such as cycling to work, rather than team sports.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0research with colleagues<\/a>, I interviewed 32 teenage boys and found they wanted to participate in fitness activities that mirror those typically performed by adults, such as lifting weights. However, the boys told us that opportunities are lacking at school. \u201cSchool is mostly football and that,\u201d one said. \u201cWhen I go home I can do weights, it\u2019s just not something we do here [at school].\u201d<\/p>\n

Physical inactivity in the UK is tied to\u00a0alarming outcomes<\/a>. It\u2019s linked with one in six deaths and exerts an economic burden of \u00a37.4 billion each year on our society. Healthcare costs alone account for nearly \u00a31 billion of this total. PE lessons could do more to introduce children to ways to stay active throughout their lives.<\/p>\n

Competitive sports<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The UK government<\/a>\u00a0recently demonstrated its commitment to PE in England. It pledged a further \u00a3600 million towards the PE and Sport Premium, a fund launched in 2013 to support children getting more active and to improve the quality of PE. In addition, it is providing an extra \u00a322 million to support the School Games Organisers network, which promotes competitive sports and runs competitions within schools and between schools across the country.<\/p>\n

While more money for PE in schools is always valuable, there is a risk that this funding may reinforce traditional approaches to school sport. Teacher training in non-team sports and activities more aligned with lifelong physical activity may be overlooked.<\/p>\n

Our research with teachers has found<\/a>\u00a0that they often lack knowledge to deliver activities focused on muscular fitness, such as weightlifting, or may have misconceptions about the suitability of this activity for young people. \u201cWe just don\u2019t have the knowledge and I wouldn\u2019t feel confident,\u201d one teacher said. Another commented:<\/p>\n

It would be useful to do fitness-type CPD [continuous professional development], but we don\u2019t really have the knowledge to share. We all go the gym, but what we can do with the pupils isn\u2019t really clear.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is where a portion of the government\u2019s funding could be of great benefit. It could help enhance teaching practices in PE, possibly by the introduction of online teacher training platforms. These are popular in\u00a0medical professions<\/a>\u00a0but are\u00a0surprisingly underused in PE teaching<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In my research with colleagues, I have explored how\u00a0this kind of online training<\/a>\u00a0could help PE teachers. We provided an online training programme to improve five teachers\u2019 knowledge of muscular fitness activity, a form of lifelong physical activity. It focused on activities such as weightlifting, gym exercise and plyometrics \u2013 explosive exercises focused on building muscle power, such as squat jumps \u2013 and on how these could be incorporated into the PE curriculum.<\/p>\n

PE teachers told us that using this online platform allowed them to cover the material at their own pace, and talked about how they would include the content in their lessons.<\/p>\n

Beyond school<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Improving young people\u2019s access to physical activity that will help them stay active in adult life should be a priority\u00a0beyond schools<\/a>. Extracurricular initiatives, such as after-school programmes and local sports clubs, could offer opportunities for physical activity such as circuit training that resembles adult fitness classes.<\/p>\n

Another potential solution would be improved access to traditional gyms for those under the age of 18. Access for teenagers is currently limited, often comes at a significant cost, and may be restricted to use of only some equipment. More focus on teenagers at gyms could help cultivate a love for physical activity at an early age.<\/p>\n

The government\u2019s funding commitment signals a clear dedication to PE. However, considering the potential long-term health implications, it\u2019s clear that a broader and more encompassing approach is needed across communities. Rather than PE focusing solely on traditional team sports, young people should be able to access a more diverse range of activities that reflects their changing interests and lifestyles.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Ash Cox is a Lecturer in Youth Physical Activity and Physical Education at Edge Hill University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Physical education (PE) is a fundamental part of school life. It\u2019s more than just a series of lessons about how to kick a ball or run around a track. It should provide the\u00a0crucial groundwork\u00a0for a lifetime of physical activity. Often, though, the sport that children do in PE doesn\u2019t bear much resemblance to the physical […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[32516],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-68852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-physical-education"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPE at school isn\u2019t like adult exercise \u2013 but maybe it should be - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/pe-at-school-isnt-like-adult-exercise-but-maybe-it-should-be\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PE at school isn\u2019t like adult exercise \u2013 but maybe it should be - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Physical education (PE) is a fundamental part of school life. 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