Considering that gym class was hell on Earth for some of us fat people and we greatly looked forward to the liberation of college, I think the idea of mandatory PE is horrible.
PE is usually taught in a manner that's great if you're already fit, and atrocious if you're fat. It's hard on the joints and exemplifies how much weaker/slower/less valuable to society you are compared to the fit kids.
I know this because I WAS fat. Horribly so. I lost nearly 100 pounds in my mid 20's by doing something simple - ignoring the exercises I hated (running, any team sports, etc.) and doing what I loved (swimming and cycling, which no PE class had offered). Instead of agonizing knee pain I experienced the joy of cycling, and instead of being a dripping sweaty pig I was in a nice cool pool, where body heat was transferred away easily.
I also quit eating the poison that some call food on a college campus. Remember that at this time people thought margarine was comparatively healthy!
(Note - I use the word "fat" because I think it's an accurate descriptor. It has unfortunately taken on a lot of emotional overtones. But let's be honest, the simplest word that describes the experience I had is "fat").
High school and middle school PE were fucking miserable for me. I wasn't fat, but I was slow and in a group with very fit (naturally or by practice) guys. I was also uncoordinated as I had a massive growth spurt and, being extremely near sighted, wasn't active in any typical sport so my coordination lagged behind for years.
College PE is different. It's not (usually) a general class. You typically pick which one you want. Weight lifting, running, cycling, golf, swimming, etc. This means you're working on a physical activity that you enjoy or have some moderate interest in, unless you truly despise moving and can't even find one thing in the list that interests you (and somehow never fits into your schedule over the 4 years of college).
And all those options were at a cheap, no-name state school.
EDIT: As well, you typically end up setting your own goals within the constraints of the course. Usually an A requires: Be fitter/healthier/faster/stronger than when you started.
Where I studied, there were indeed groups of choices, but they had to take you for some reason (either be fast to apply or have good fit already). Most people were raked into general class, where it was as bad as in school, under the fear of dropping you out, since it was a required course.
Seriously makes me want to bulldoze the stadium (bonus points for frags) and set a few extra dorms on top.
> PE is usually taught in a manner that's great if you're already fit, and atrocious if you're fat.
I remember going through the Presidential Fitness Challenge, and saying "how am I supposed to just stretch further? It hurts!" If, instead, gym class (at least, by the time one gets to high school) was more about finding ways each person liked to exercise, it would be a much greater force for health. I recently decided I just don't like to run, and I'm not really going to try to force myself to anymore.
Well, this feels obvious, but let's say the required PE classes have skilled professors that can adjust a PE program to your fitness level? Would your opinion change then?
PE is usually taught in a manner that's great if you're already fit, and atrocious if you're fat. It's hard on the joints and exemplifies how much weaker/slower/less valuable to society you are compared to the fit kids.
I know this because I WAS fat. Horribly so. I lost nearly 100 pounds in my mid 20's by doing something simple - ignoring the exercises I hated (running, any team sports, etc.) and doing what I loved (swimming and cycling, which no PE class had offered). Instead of agonizing knee pain I experienced the joy of cycling, and instead of being a dripping sweaty pig I was in a nice cool pool, where body heat was transferred away easily.
I also quit eating the poison that some call food on a college campus. Remember that at this time people thought margarine was comparatively healthy!
(Note - I use the word "fat" because I think it's an accurate descriptor. It has unfortunately taken on a lot of emotional overtones. But let's be honest, the simplest word that describes the experience I had is "fat").