No More Kickball and Dodge Ball?
POWAY, Calif., Jan. 14, 2007 — -- Step aerobics, tennis, yoga, swimming, cross-training -- they sound like activities you'd find at a fancy gym, or even a country club.
But believe it or not, they're all activities taking place in high school physical education classes across the country. It's the new face of physical education, which is not just about kickball and dodge ball anymore.
At Westview High School in Poway, Calif., a suburb of San Diego, students are exposed to sports and exercise with the hope they'll find something they want to participate in for life. Traditional physical education classes focused on playing sports. The new P.E. focuses on leading a healthy lifestyle.
Paige Metz, one of Westview's physical education teachers, tries to get kids excited about leading active lives.
"We've reached a time in society where kids aren't just going outside and playing," she says. "There are things that they've got to do that they're fitting into their schedule. And at the same time, they've lost the ability to just go out and play and to be kids."
Westview and schools nationwide are turning their physical education curriculums away from traditional team sports to encourage everyone to be active -- not just those who are more athletically inclined.
Metz and her fellow phys ed teachers work hard to give their students a wider variety of activities, with the hope that everyone will find something they enjoy.
One of Metz's activities is a series of cross training exercises aimed at getting her students to do 18 minutes of continuous cardiovascular activity. The students rotate through various stations, including jumping rope 50 times, climbing up and down stairs around the football field, running backwards and sidestepping quickly up a ramp.
By varying the activity, they may not realize that they're actually getting a full workout.
Her students seem to be responding. They're having fun, yelling encouragement at each other and working up a good sweat.
Ninth grader Nelson Seilhan says he enjoys actually getting a good workout.
"In grade school, yeah, we played some games," he says. "But we didn't really get into that target heart-rate zone at all."
Yes, a ninth grader is talking about his "target heart-rate zone." Something must be sinking in.
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Hakuna Kickball Zaidi na Dodge Ball? "Poway, California, Januari 14, 2007: ""Step aerobics, tenisi, yoga, kuogelea, mafunzo ya msalaba - zinasikika kama shughuli ambazo utapata katika mazoezi ya kifahari, au hata klabu ya nchi.""" Lakini uamini au la, ni shughuli zote zinazofanyika katika madarasa ya elimu ya kimwili ya shule za sekondari kote nchini. Ni uso mpya wa elimu ya kimwili, ambayo si tu kuhusu kickball na dodge ball tena. Shule ya sekondari ya Westview huko Poway, California, ni kitongoji cha San Diego, Marekani, ambapo wanafunzi hujifunza michezo na mazoezi kwa matumaini ya kupata kitu cha kufanya maisha yao yote. Madarasa ya kitamaduni ya malezi ya kimwili yalikazia sana kucheza michezo. Mwalimu mpya wa mazoezi ya mwili Inahusisha kuongoza mtindo wa maisha wenye afya. Paige Metz, mmoja wa walimu wa elimu ya mwili wa Westview, anajaribu kuwafanya watoto wawe na shauku ya kuishi maisha ya mazoezi. "Tumefikia wakati katika jamii ambapo watoto hawaendi nje tu na kucheza", asema. "Kuna mambo ambayo wanahitaji kufanya ambayo yanalingana na ratiba yao. "Wakati huohuo, wamepoteza uwezo wa kwenda nje na kucheza na kuwa watoto.""" Westview na shule kote nchini zinaelekeza mtaala wao wa elimu ya mwili mbali na michezo ya kawaida ya timu ili kuhamasisha kila mtu kuwa hai - sio wale tu ambao wana mwelekeo wa michezo zaidi. Metz na walimu wenzake wa elimu ya kimwili wanafanya kazi kwa bidii kuwapa wanafunzi wao shughuli mbalimbali, kwa matumaini kwamba kila mtu atapata kitu anachokifurahia. Miongoni mwa mazoezi ya Metz ni mazoezi ya msalaba, ambayo huwafanya wanafunzi wake kufanya mazoezi ya moyo kwa dakika 18. Wanafunzi hao hujipinda katika vituo mbalimbali, wakiwemo kuruka kamba mara 50, kupanda na kushuka ngazi kuzunguka uwanja wa mpira wa miguu, kukimbia nyuma na kukimbia kwa kasi kwenye mteremko. Kwa kubadilisha shughuli, wanaweza kutotambua kwamba kwa kweli wanapata mazoezi kamili. Wanafunzi wake wanaonekana kuwa wanaitikia. Wanafurahia, wakipiga kelele ili kutiana moyo na kufanya kazi kwa bidii. Mvulana wa darasa la tisa Nelson Seilhan anasema anafurahia kufanya mazoezi mazuri. "Katika shule ya msingi, ndiyo, tulicheza michezo fulani", asema. "Lakini hatukufika kabisa katika eneo hilo la kiwango cha moyo kinachohitajiwa". Ndiyo, mwanafunzi wa darasa la tisa anazungumza juu ya "eneo lake la kiwango cha moyo". Lazima kitu kuwa kuzama katika. ABC News Live 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24