Since childhood obesity rates are on the rise it is evident that many children are just not getting enough exercise. This is extremely problematic, as the majority of overweight children grow up to become overweight and obese adults, and develop serious weight-related health issues. It is therefore important that children are encouraged to eat a healthy diet and stay active so they can avoid developing a weight problem. Clearly, physical education lessons could play a significant role in getting children interested in exercise so that they actually want to carry on doing exercise when they get older.

Unfortunately, in many instances schools are being forced to get rid of their physical education classes to make way for other subjects that are considered to be more important. Just because children are getting fewer physical education lessons doesn’t mean they are any less important, though; indeed, in today’s society they are more important than ever. If children aren’t getting enough exercise at home, they have to burn off their excess energy somehow. Although it isn’t the sole job of teachers to ensure children are getting enough exercise, the education system clearly has a role to play in getting children active.

Children should be doing at least an hour of exercise each day, but with homework and computer games competing for their spare time, plenty will opt not to do any. This isn’t helped by the fact that parents are often too busy to take their children to the park, while being reluctant to allow their children to play out by themselves. Yet, exercise is vital for keeping children healthy. Exercise is not only important for weight control; it also gets the heart and lungs pumping. If children into the habit of exercising they are likely to continue with it as they get older, thus reducing their chances of developing heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

It is therefore clear that physical education lessons should be given more priority than they currently are. If children learn to develop a love of exercise from a young age they are likely to be enthusiastic about exercise as adults, thus potentially keeping them healthier for longer. Active children are less likely to develop a weight problem, which means they can avoid entering adolescence and adulthood as obese individuals who are likely to face bullying and discrimination because of their size. Physical education lessons can also break up the school day, getting children’s adrenaline flowing and helping to boost their alertness, which can only be a good thing when they enter the classroom. It is therefore essential not to underestimate the importance of physical education classes.