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Are Physical Educators Ready to Lead the Next Fitness Revolution?
Sometime in the '70s interest among adults towards physical fitness
changed. Children and public school physical educators were unaffected.
Rather, we witnessed the birth of a celebrity-led adult fitness
revolution that focused exclusively on an affluent and
rapidly expanding baby-boomer workforce.
Jane Fonda, Richard Simmons and similar celebrity notables successfully
recreated themselves as national physical fitness "experts."
Fitness books and how-to home fitness videos quickly deluged the
market. Newly configured exercise devices that could be used at
home offered an alternative to working out with heavy barbells in
sweaty gyms. Corporate America fueled the creation of work-based
exercise facilities. And as health and fitness clubs became increasingly
popular, higher educational institutions opened new academic tracks
to prepare future leaders in exercise and fitness.
Today, the results of this fitness revolution are evident across
our nation. Almost every community offers exercise facilities and
programs targeted to adults wanting to get in shape, lose weight
or simply enjoy the pleasure of regular physical activity. Over
the past 30 years, adult fitness has become a lucrative business.
Fast forward to today. Almost daily we hear reports predicting
dire health consequences if the epidemic of children's obesity is
not effectively addressed. We know that on average about one in
five of our school-aged children are overweight. In some communities
and among some races the figure is alarmingly higher. Physical educators
are well aware of the multitude of health threats that children
who are overweight or obese will likely face later in life. In short
we - today's physical educators - know already that a catastrophic
children's health crisis will without doubt occur sometime soon.
Thirty years ago, physical educators were better qualified and
more knowledgeable about exercise and fitness than any celebrities,
and yet played almost no part in changing adults' attitudes towards
physical fitness and physical activity. That's okay. Why should
public school physical educators have felt responsible for improving
the health of adults? Unfortunately, we can't make the same claim
about the health and physical fitness of children.
So where are we positioned today? Who will the nation turn to when
the impending children's health crisis becomes too great to ignore?
Will it be public school physical educators or a new branch of the
fitness industry? Will physical educators once again be left on
the sidelines as a new generation of fitness celebrities cash in
on the health problems resulting from children's inactivity? No
one is as well positioned or as well qualified as public school
physical educators to impact children's attitudes towards physical
activity and fitness. But to do this we need to prepare now. Time
is short.
What's the plan?
Steve Jefferies
Central Washington University
Publisher PELINKS4U
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