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Gym class ... is really short

Research says U.S. high schoolers in gym class active for an average of just 16 minutes

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Researchers report that in the typical high school gym class - where there are a few jumping jacks before a halfhearted game of softball -students are active for an average of just 16 minutes.

The report by Cornell University researchers also found that adding 200 minutes more of physical education time per week had little effect.


The study was based on annual surveys of 37,000 high schoolers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data come from the annual youth behavior surveys from 1999, 2001 and 2003, which include questions about students' exercise habits.

As obesity rates climb among children, the role of schools in shaping students' eating and exercise habits has come under intense scrutiny. In recent years, nearly all states have introduced bills to increase or reform physical education. Healthy People 2010, a federal initiative to improve physical fitness, has made it a goal to improve curriculum and diminish the amount of time students waste being sedentary in gym class.

The National Association of Sport and Physical Education has long recommended 45 minutes a day of gym class for middle and high school students. But most schools fall short of that goal, according to the group. Even limited class time can be wasted since gym is not considered a core subject like math or reading, said Jackie Lund, president of NASPE, an association of fitness educators and professionals.

"There's no national standard, so there's limited accountability," she said.

According to the Shape of the Nation, an annual report by NASPE and the American Heart Association, only 15 states required student assessments in physical education last year.

The Cornell report found that adding an additional 200 minutes of physical education a week resulted in boys spending only about 7 1/2 more minutes being active in gym class.

For girls, an additional 200 minutes of PE resulted in about 8 more minutes of being active in gym each week.

The rest of the extra gym time is likely spent being sedentary - most likely standing around idly while playing sports like softball or volleyball that don't require constant movement, Cawley said.

"We're not saying schools should get rid of (physical education), but that increasing time alone has no effect. There has to be a meaningful change in the curriculum," Cawley said.

However, Lund says that merely counting how many minutes students are moving may not be a fair measure of a gym class.


Electives like aerobics and yoga can boost physical activity and complement gym class, but Lund said traditional PE class is also critical to develop the cognitive and social skills needed to appreciate sports.

"You're teaching kids habits they're going to practice for a lifetime," she said.

Lund said teachers should aim to have kids moving for at least half of class time.

At its best, gym class can improve the physical fitness of students, said Amy Winterfeld, a health policy researcher at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

"But if it's not a high quality program, then making kids spend more time in them obviously isn't going to help," she said.

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jstrait 09/20/06 - 07:21 am

this is why

This is why I tell my kids that they have to play outside when they get home. Mine aren't in highschool yet, but I want to make sure they keep/stay active. I think, JMHO, that too many kids have too many luxuries in their rooms (TV, computers etc) and they are so accustomed to just sitting around watching entertainment. I usually give my kids an option when they want to stay inside: 1) do something physical in the house like cleaning or 2) go outside and entertain themselves with a physical game. I don't allow TV's and the like in their rooms and I limit their viewing time and computer time everyday.

School gym class can be hard to keep everybody moving because there is so many kids and there is a limited amount of time. It was the same way when I was in gym class so many years ago. I see it hasn't changed all that much:) Keeping kids active starts at home.
It isn't about BEing right, it's about DOing right.

ovidsen 09/20/06 - 08:28 pm

Back when I was a boy...

Don't you just HATE posts that start like that? lol!

But when I was in high school, we had PE for an hour every day, 5 days a week. It was (and I think it still is) the state law in Illinois. And we sweated. 15 minutes of jumping jacks, squat thrusts, knee bends etc. to start (loosen us up) before 30 minutes or so of volleyball, basketball and other team sports. Finally, 10 minutes to shower (and we NEEDED those showers). Same deal for the girls.

I don't know if this made us healthier, but we sure felt healthier!

heron55 09/20/06 - 09:41 pm

One difference in PE now and then

We had more PE time back whenever, but we also had hall lockers assigned for storage. Kids now don't have lockers, so they haul 30 pounds of books around in back packs. They get their exercise!

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