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Why P.E?
-By Kimberley Seals
Physical Education (PE) is important for health, well being and promoting self-development and understanding. Copper Mountain College (CMC) requires students to take two credits of physical education before graduation as part of the life-long learning requirement. Think of PE as the bodies equivalent to math problems for the brain.
Part of the requirement is to help college students understand their physical bodies and its capabilities, not just their minds. CMC adjunct professor and Twentynine Palms High School physical education teacher Kevin Slotta teaches his classes, both college and high school, about fitness of the mind and body.
When asked why PE is so important, Slotta quoted Greek Philosophy, �Sound Mind, Sound Body.� Fitness isn�t always about weight training or walking and running, it needs to be a combination of weights, cardio activity and diet. . Not all the things done in a gym are purely physical; some things require a mental capacity as well, for strategies and the like.
�All of the schools focus on academics. What good are they if you can� t move around to do them?� remarked Slotta. People are more and more out of shape, due to all the medical advances and new prescription drugs, it is possible to pop a pill, and all the pain goes away. If people were in decent physical shape a pill wouldn�t be needed. Showing our children that being out of shape is acceptable is causing staggering effects in health statistics.
�The statistics on the obesity rates of Americans of all ages is scary, there are new reports out stating even our youngest generations are severely overweight,� noted Slotta. According to the American Heart Association, the combination of weight training and cardio workouts, along with a healthy diet is the best way to combat these statistics.
Having proper knowledge before starting to exercise is important, as there are many dangerous exercise myths around. For example, a woman getting hugely muscular from lifting any type of weights, even light ones, is not true. It depends on the type of workout she is doing. By working out and not dieting, or vice versa, a person will not be able to change their shape or lose weight.
�This college does not have a huge requirement for P.E., I think that it is a good idea to do some sort of physical activity as a release from academics, to give the mind a chance to free itself up and let the body enjoy,� concluded Slotta.
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