Exercise is more precious than ever. So let’s stop scaring kids off PE | Anna Kessel

Cutting PE lessons to boost exam results is madness – especially as we now know physical activity aids academic performance

When I was growing up I routinely bunked PE lessons. I saw PE as optional – it was on the timetable, but no one seemed to care if you didn’t attend. PE was for sporty kids anyway, and I wasn’t one of them.

Times have changed. We now know so much more about the value of physical activity – for physical and mental wellbeing, to promote positive body image in women and girls, to help people with depression, to engender a healthy lifestyle from an early age, to sharpen concentration and academic performance, and even to tackle the gender pay gap (research shows that women who play sport are more likely to enjoy high-flying careers).

Related: Why has women’s fitness become a beauty contest? | Anna Kessel

Related: In praise of… sports day | Editorial

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from Children | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2GD7UZJ