Canada’s Fitness Level and Physical Education

Obesity prevalence in Canada has tripled over the last 30 years (Statistics Canada). Moreover, a recent study by the University of Manitoba by Dr. Henry Janzen has suggested that 90% of Canada’s adolescents are physically inactive. Even though, Manitoba is the only province in Canada in which physical education credits between grade 9 to grade 12 are required for graduation, the program is facing several complexities from the large class size, limited space, and specialist versus generalist teachers’ issue. Thus, physical education programs needs to be enforced and should be mandatory nationwide.

Incontrovertible, physical education programs are getting more attention in the last few years. They are the key to increase teenager’s physical activity levels. Moreover, there are many benefits in the physical education than just having fun, it sharpen overall cognitive abilities and motor skills via athletics. However, what those classes are really trying to promote is the inclusion of a regular fitness activity in our daily routine. Meanwhile, regular fitness activities are “Active living” day-to-day activities, for example, treadmill walking, bike riding and basic daily activities; that is what our parents and ancestors have been doing for most of their lives. These kinds of activities are what our students are not engaging in; rather they are more likely to engage in sedentary activities from playing video games and watching television (The University of Waterloo, 2009). This will, in the long term, increase the risk of virulent diseases such as diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, and even cancer. Despite all these facts, the physical education programs teaches many personal and social tools to the student, some of t...

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... prevention, they are unlikely to reverse obesity by themselves. However, enacting policy within the school environment may act as a first step to a solution for this problem. Mortenson once said, “What we are trying to do may be just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less because of that missing drop” (Three cups of tea). And before Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics becomes the last time we win gold medals, immediate action ought to be taken now. Thus, we need to activate the physical education programs in the country and make them mandatory nationwide. Canada, please act now before it is too late to do so.

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