At Highlands high school, physical education classes have been labeled as personal fitness, and the fitness classes range from freshman year to senior year.
The required gym class is often taken by freshmen; half of the year students are in gym class, and when the midterm hits, they shift into a health class.
The school has health classes that target mental health as well as a curriculum about physical health. Teachers found this more useful from the results of the COVID-19 pandemic, students began to show signs of increased struggles with isolation, depression, and anxiety. Bringing more awareness on this topic is in hopes of educating students about resources and people to talk to.
The intention is to have all students stay safe, and if they are not, how to get help.
Physical education has played a big role in focus and mood throughout high school. The requirement for gym class is one year, but students who enjoy their time or the challenges that it gives them come back to the class.
Gym class is not for everyone; some love the class, and others feel nervous to be there with their peers. For any activities that occur, students are typically allowed to pair up with friends or join groups.
With the coronavirus, the world shut down quickly, making it harder to be active and accomplish set goals. Mental health also had a rough involvement in staying active. Teenagers and teachers were isolated and shut off from parks, gyms, and any public space.
With that being said, the world opening up was more difficult than anyone thought. Some people could still be in danger if they catch this illness, and some are depending on their homes and parents to cope with the results of the deadly illness. A protocol had been put in place for each other’s safety.
The health classes offer insight into how others can be independent while having a support system. COVID-19 opened many people’s eyes to the reality of being safe and what it means to be a healthy human, and ways students can continue to implement skills into their everyday lives.
“We are teaching the foundations of how to be healthy, like we went through COVID, and we realized when we don’t have our health, we don’t have much of anything,” fitness teacher Jill Taylor said.
The goal of these classes is to show students how important it is to take care of their health in a realistic way.
Physical education can promote healthy lifestyles within that class. In the years of high school, students may make choices that can affect their daily lives or affect them in the future.
Highlands has a health class that tries to stop these drastic choices from happening, and when they do, the faculty is there for support. Students are able to take this class and use it to their advantage for their lifestyle.
Skills can be picked up during the few hours a week. Students can begin a journey of practicing balance as well as prioritizing tasks. The gym can be used to increase focus in the classrooms.
In the National Library of Medicine, they explain the reason why academic performance increases, “Executive function and brain health underlie academic performance. Basic cognitive functions related to attention and memory facilitate learning, and these functions are enhanced by physical activity and higher aerobic fitness.”
Moderate fitness can help people in their everyday lives and is recommended for everyone.
Gym class has exciting games and activities, but it also teaches students the most efficient way to set goals, build their workout routines, manage their priorities, etc.
The first physical education class available may be more focused on games rather than personal fitness. Later in personal fitness and health class, students continue to learn more about their body and how to take care of it properly.
“We learned about nutrition and how to properly fuel your body for games or even if you’re not an athlete,” Jack Heilman (11) said.
Physical education is an amazing class to return to year after year. The most prominent benefit of the personal fitness class is the work that can be accomplished, and it focuses on growth and success.
This class shares the importance of resilience through group activities and through milestones set. Personal fitness helps target the things that challenge people the most and provides the ability to use new skills to achieve success.
The available PE classes are not made for only athletes or popular kids, they are made for all students in the building. Taking a gym class yearly can help cognitive and physical development.
When debating next year’s schedule, remember there is an amazing opportunity to take this class yearly, and students can take advantage of the curriculum provided.
