by Charles Ray

Created on: August 03, 2009

Before answering the question, "Should body building be compulsory for students," one must take a moment to define precisely what is meant by 'body building.' If by this term, you mean exercises to build the bulging biceps and six-pack abs that are advertised on TV, the answer is no. Contrary to the hyped TV claims, unless you're willing and able to spend sweaty hours in the gym every day, and eat a very high protein diet, those well-sculpted bodies they tempt us with in the ads are out of reach.

If, on the other hand, you mean exercises that build upper body strength and endurance, help maintain a healthy body weight, and improve cardio-vascular fitness, the answer is a definite yes.

Visit any school campus and you won't need a survey to tell you that the youth of today are overweight and under conditioned. Too much texting and junk food and not enough pull-ups and wind sprints has created a generation of teenagers who have difficulty passing a military entrance physical. After criminal records, inability to pass the physical exam is one of the leading reasons for people being rejected for military service.

Okay, you say, we have an all-volunteer army, so only those who want to serve have to worry about it. You are so very, very wrong. It's not just soldiers who need to be physically fit.

Poor eating habits and lack of adequate exercise in your youth can set you up for chronic problems that will haunt you in middle age.

Schools need to bring back the PT period, and it should be mandatory for all students except those who are advised by a doctor against exercise for medical reasons. The objective of a school should be to produce a complete person; one capable of functioning effectively on all levels. A healthy mind in an overweight, weak body cannot truly live up to its potential. Lack of physical training in our nation's schools is creating a whole generation of adult couch potatoes who have difficulty lifting anything heavier than the TV remote.

Yes, body building (PT) should be compulsory for all grades in secondary school from K to 12, with age-appropriate exercises. After 12 years of regular exercise, hopefully the habit will be ingrained, and will become a life-long pursuit. The objective is not to turn every student into a miniature Charles Atlas, but to ensure that each student is physically fit as well as academically prepared.

The habits we learn in school stay with us for life. Unless we are striving for the record as the fattest country on earth, we need to rethink the absence of compulsory PT in our schools.

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