Comments for Fitness taking away from instructional time at http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com , comment 1 to 36 out of 20 comments http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:57:08 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11515 remembering my highschool days of 8 am to 3 pm with a half hour lunch and 5 minutes between 8 courses....wow only 5 hours of school now for highschool....jeesh and to think i was still bored at how slow school was going then... I had to take PE...and am better for it, i think that if parents were really concerned for their children they would stop complaining about exercise since most kids now are going to be living at home swearing and cursing at their parents till they thirty anyways - pgboy Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:57:53 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11510 This should be a requirement to graduate. I am not certain if it still is, but it was when I went to high school. There are far too many people suffering from illness related to obesity and lack of physical activity, which are straining our medical system and resources. I am very happy that my children have this as part of their curriculum, to help ensure their physical well-being in addition to their mental well-being. Physical activity has been proven to stimulate the brain, due to the increase in blood flow. For the parents who are concerned this is taking away from the education time of their child(ren), perhaps you should also be looking at the amount of time spent playing video games instead of partaking in the activities that will keep them healthy. Something as simple as jumping on a trampoline for 20 minutes is excellent aerobic activity that will help for the long-term. Life has become far too serious for today's children & it is time for them to have some fun & take part in team activities that will also help them excel as adults. And yes, participating in a gym class is a team activity. - White House Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:58:25 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11367 Remembering my high school days, a chance to get up from that desk, uncramp my note taking hand and move around would have been wonderful! I remember how we loved the welcome interruption of a fire drill! - travhops Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:13:41 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11310 If I am not mistaken, by the time the average student gets to grade 11, most of their class time is either spent taking notes or listening to lectures. I remember very few spirited debates in my grade 12 classes but we could hear the kids from the "ëasy" courses down the hall having lots of fun. I would consider myself a happy man if I never had to gaze at an over-head projection of some subject that I knew would have no further bearing on my future. Kids need to frolic!!! Make them play if you have to! - D.K. Ross Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:07:48 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11271 After sitting for hours in a classroom, some physical exercise wakes kids up, makes them more attentive. I think this is a great idea. - travhops Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:28:49 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11245 "I was very concerned to see my son’s Grade 10 timetable at a local high school. In it, his schedule has been cut from five hours of instruction per day to four hours and 40 minutes. Now 20 minutes per day may not seem like a significant amount, but keep in mind that in the past, schools have had to add two or three minutes to each day to make up for a couple lost days of instruction during the year. This 20 minutes per day amounts to more than 12 days of instruction." So now, instead of the students getting out of classes and going home lets say at 330, they are now getting out of school at 310 to accomodate this program. What is next, another stirke because the teachers are not getting paid enough again? - ccurle01 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:04:52 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11239 Whoa whoa! How did this get turned into a discussion on how this 20 minutes is going to get kids in shape/the man is bring the abnormally healthy fat people down? Isn't it obvious that the intent of the 20 minutes of exercise per day will aid in making students better receptive to learning? - rambleon Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:49:33 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11235 The point is that the school has deducted 20mins per day from classes to accomodate this program, when they should have kept the extra 20mins - ccurle01 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:27:07 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11234 about the video games, indoop toys, slurpees, etc. When I was talking about safety, I was referring to much younger children. Sorry I didn't clarify myself better. - travhops Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:12:59 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11230 Don't these kids already have PE class? Can't we focus on fitness in there? If they don't have PE than this new fitness class is replacing PE, so there's no reason any extra class time need be cut. Is there something I'm missing? PE (or sports as I called it) was mandatory 3 days a week for me when I was in school. I think we did about 30 minutes each time in elementary school and 45-60 minutes when we were older. We did not have a big obesity problem. So if kids are already doing that and still getting fat, obviously there is another factor at work. 20 daily minutes of exercise will not attack these other factors (diet, parental attitudes, hobbies, etc.). There seems to have been a widespread societal shift in the past 20 years and it's going to take more than this to revert to the old way. - LadyHeather Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:37:40 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11228 Travhops I agree with your common sense. Healthier, fitter kids, will be more alert. I would guess that the 20 less minutes will not be missed if they are more productive with the learning time they have. The only thing I disagree with is the reason for sedentary kids nowadays. I don't think it has anything to do with actual safety (although I would agree parents are more vigilant and maybe even paranoid). I think it is more to do with so many 'indoor toys' being available. For some reason, street hockey now has a hard time competing with xbox and ps2 hockey games played with fingers and thumbs. As far as obese kids, I think it is simple. Genetics, diet and exercise are the factors. Genetics has likely not changed in one or two generatations. That leaves exercise (much less now), and diet (generally worse now). As an example, most kids from my generation (70's), didn't have the money that kids seem to have today for junk food. Even if someone had the money, they didn't have the option of buying a 'slurpee' the size of a beer keg. - Mike S Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:12:26 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11226 I don't understand why people are complainingabout 20 minutes a day for physical exercise. It is healthier, makes them more alert and is beneficial to health. As a child I played outside morning to night, a luxury kids don't have now, for safety reasons, my personal opinion as to why there is more obesity in children. I can't see 20 minutes a day seriously cutting into anyone's education. - travhops Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:59:24 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11224 That 210 lb guy is just too short for his weight! If he was 7 ft tall he would be fine. - dhood Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:29:24 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11223 '210' in itself is not considered obese. The person you mention may have been obese, but more knowledge is needed such as height, age, build, etc. Many people weigh 210 and are average depending on their height. - Mike S Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:28:13 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11222 I do know that the calories in rice is very high and a portion is either 1/3 cup of brown or 1/2 cup of white. Brown flour has more calories than white and also far more vitamins than white. Same for rice. People eat too many calories and not enough green veggies or salads. If you put in more than you use up then naturally you are going to put on weight. If you watch your calories and eat more salads and veggies you'll be fine. Seniors in a care home are given approx. 1200 calories a day to maintain their weight. Most of us use between 1500 and 2000 calories a day if we aren't too active. If students have exercise first thing in the morning they will burn more calories than if they sit all day and then try to burn calories. (I am not a professional but I have learned a few things over the years.) Lazy kids get fat as do lazy adults. I do not condone the use of sugar subs unless you're a diabetic and your doc says so. (I get absolutely horrible headaches from them as well as processed cheeses.) (Migraines) I believe the amount of meat a person is supposed to eat is 2 1/2 to 3 oz. a few times a week. Red meat has a substantial amount of calories. Chicken and fish not so many. So like they say "everything in moderation". And don't forget that 1/2 hour walk a day. (preferrably fast.) - dhood Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:21:28 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11221 Just a point. The guy who created the 5 factor health thing, he was said to weigh 210, and that is considered obese. I personally don't think the scale should matter more than what the measurments of body fat, cholestral, muscle mass and overall health are. - ccurle01 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:10:56 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11220 Gestational diabetes is a condition develops during pregnancy and usually resolves itself after delivery - and diet and genetics plays a role in this. Type I or II Diabetes developed later in life is also a result of a combination of diet and genetics. It is a fact that excess weight is detrimental to your health. If someone's weight is not causing them a problem, then great - carry on and be happy. But, if there are health issues, there is no doubt that the weight is likely a contributor. Your thin friend obviously has a genetic makeup allowing her to remain thin despite her eating habits - but her eating habits are catching up to her and having the same effect on her that obesity might. The fact remains, if someone is overweight, and ends up with a health issue, such as diabetes, elevated cholesterol, breathing problems, heart problems, muscles, joints and bones, the first thing the doctor is going to do is suggest weight loss. It's a no-brainer. - Reality Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:09:47 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11219 Peterson you just answered your own question. ".. My thin friend on the other hand,the one with the major health problems lives on junk...". While the overweight one is aware of healthy choices. Duh. Enough with the ludicrous anecdotes please. No one is saying that weight is the only issue. But ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, being overweight, especially obese, has definite health risks. You, definitely, are the one that needs to do research. - Mike S Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:02:06 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11217 P val youre ingnorant.Do some research.The gov really doesnt need to worry about population control.All they need to do is get doctors to tell everyone that a study showed that jumping off of bridges will result in a longer life.SHEEPLE. - peterson Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:55:07 +0100 http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20080902149509/opinion/letters/fitness-taking-away-from-instructional-time.html#comment-11216 So what is the price of rice in China?? - dhood Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:54:24 +0100