| Remember your physical education (PE) classes in | | | | flaw in that it both mirrors and reinforces the |
| school? If your experience was anything like mine, it | | | | preoccupation of most adult fitness programs with |
| was a class you truly hated. And if, like me, you | | | | the quantity of activity activity performed, rather |
| were not a natural athlete, your painful memories | | | | than the way participants use their bodies while |
| may have actually discouraged you from exercising | | | | performing those activities. We tend to be interested |
| later in life. | | | | in how many laps we swam, the amount of weights |
| A recent New York Times article, "Putting the Gym | | | | we lifted, or the speed of our runs rather than how |
| Back in Gym Class" (October 13, 2005), explores this | | | | well we used our body in performing those sports. In |
| problem and examines what some PE professionals | | | | other words quantity rather than quality. |
| have proposed to improve the situation. In part this | | | | To see what this leads to, take a look at any group |
| re-evaluation is due to the sharp curtailment of school | | | | of runners or joggers. You will probably see tight |
| PE programs in recent years. As the article explains, | | | | necks, hunched shoulders and painful expressions on |
| "School administrators began cutting physical | | | | many of their faces. These runners may be getting a |
| education programs...because of the way many | | | | cardiovascular workout, but in the process they're |
| classes were taught. Budget cutters who | | | | putting a lot of unnecessary and harmful pressure on |
| remembered playing dodge ball and Red Rover came | | | | their bodies. No wonder so many people who begin |
| to view gym class as dispensable." | | | | fitness programs drop out after a few weeks, often |
| But there is also a genuine understanding that PE has | | | | due to pain or injuries. |
| not, for the most part, been successful in promoting | | | | Of course it's important that children engage in |
| health and fitness. Only a tiny percentage of students | | | | vigorous physical activity; we don't want them to |
| continue playing the sports they learned in gym class | | | | grow up to be couch potatoes. But making "effort" |
| after graduating from high school. (When was the | | | | the primary basis for grading students - even if it's as |
| last time you and your friends enjoyed a game of | | | | easy as reading a heart monitor - does our children a |
| dodge ball?) | | | | great disservice. |
| And many of the sports emphasized in gym failed to | | | | What makes this particularly sad is that we now |
| help those who needed it most. As Anne Flannery, | | | | know how to help people improve their movement |
| the president of PE4life, a PE advocacy group, points | | | | quality. The twentieth century saw the development |
| out, "In dodge ball it's the very child that needs | | | | of numerous somatic therapies and teaching methods |
| exercise the most who's picked off first...in a game | | | | that have proven effective in helping people of all |
| of soccer probably four or five of the most athletic | | | | ages perform all their activities, from everyday ones |
| kids touched the ball, and everybody else just stood | | | | like walking and using a computer right through to |
| there." | | | | vigorous sports, with greater ease, efficiency and |
| This certainly describes my own PE experience. I | | | | safety. |
| quickly learned that if I kept a low profile, and was | | | | The method I know best, first as a student and |
| discreet in minimizing my participation, I could still get | | | | then, for the past twenty years as a teacher, is the |
| by with a grade of "B", or at worst a "C'. During our | | | | Alexander Technique. It has a long history of helping |
| weekly outdoor runs, I would disappear for a few | | | | people with stress-related conditions like back pain |
| rounds into a shallow ditch behind a row of hedges, | | | | and stiff necks and shoulders and it is often used by |
| out of sight of the gym teachers. My dodge ball | | | | musicians, dancers and actors to improve the quality |
| strategy was to pretend I was hit early in the game | | | | of their performance. |
| when there were still enough players in the game | | | | The Alexander Technique is taught by |
| that nobody noticed. | | | | specially-trained teachers, but some of it's principles |
| Today, there is a growing emphasis on teaching skills | | | | could easily be included in PE classes. Take for |
| that are useful beyond gym class. Instead of learning | | | | instance the Alexander-related process that has |
| how to dodge a ball or climb a rope, children in some | | | | come to be know as "body-mapping". This approach |
| schools are taught to lift weights, balance their diets | | | | includes learning, on your own body, just where |
| and build cardiovascular endurance. There is also a | | | | important joints are located and how they function. |
| movement towards fewer competitive activities and | | | | It turns out that most of us have serious "mis-maps" |
| more activities that emphasize personal achievement | | | | of our own body which cause us to move in ways |
| such as rock-climbing, kick-boxing and tai-chi. As Ms | | | | that attempt to reinforce those incorrect ideas. For |
| Flannery says, "It's about giving these kids the tools | | | | example, many people think their hip joints are at |
| and skill and experience so they can lead a physically | | | | waist level when, in fact, they are located far lower |
| active life the rest of their life." | | | | on our torso. Correcting this mis-map is quite easy to |
| This approach certainly makes a lot of sense. It's | | | | do and almost always results in much smoother |
| usefulness is also backed up by a recent study | | | | bending, walking and running patterns. |
| published in the October 2005 issue of the Archives | | | | Wouldn't it be wonderful if PE programs included |
| of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. University of | | | | teaching this kind of useful self-knowledge to our kids |
| Wisconsin researchers observed 50 overweight | | | | so they could go through life using their bodies as |
| children and found that they lost more weight when | | | | nature intended? And look back on their PE |
| they cycled, skied cross-country and walked than | | | | experiences with fondness and gratitude? |
| when they played sports during class time. They also | | | | RESOURCES |
| found that sports like football and kick ball produced | | | | "Body-mapping" is a term coined by Alexander |
| less overall movement, in part because reluctant | | | | Technique teachers William and Barbara Conable. You |
| students were able to sit on the bench much of the | | | | can read a short introduction to the process at |
| time. | | | | The Conables have written a wonderful book |
| The new approach to PE is certainly to be welcomed | | | | describing the process in detail, "How to Learn the |
| as a major improvement over the old system. But if | | | | Alexander Technique - A Manual for Students". As |
| the goal is truly fitness for life, I believe these new | | | | the title implies, the book was written mainly for |
| developments leave out a crucial ingredient: They fail | | | | people taking Alexander Technique lessons, but I |
| to train kids HOW to do whatever physical activities | | | | have found it to be a valuable resource for anyone |
| they engage in - whether it be sports, or everyday | | | | prepared to spend a little time exploring the operation |
| activities like sitting at a desk, standing, walking, | | | | of their own body. |
| driving a car - in a way that minimizes harmful strain | | | | Another book, full of practical suggestions, is "Mind |
| and risk of injury. | | | | and Muscle - An Owner's Handbook" by Elizabeth |
| Promoting cardiovascular fitness is fine as far as it | | | | Langford. It covers some of the same ground, |
| goes, but this kind of grading system has a serious | | | | although she does not use the term "body-mapping". |