Trends in physical education: active students, lifetime fitness

Studies show that too many students spend too much time standing around in P.E. class. Innovative P.E. instructors are changing their curriculum to keep students active:

• Less emphasis on competitive team sports
• More emphasis on fun and lifetime fitness skills
• More focus on engaging all students, regardless of athletic ability
• Increased tracking of individual physical fitness with digital tools like FitnessGram

This isn’t your parents’ P.E. class. Trends in physical education include replacing rope climbs and kickball with:

• Roller skating
• Zumba
• Rock climbing
• Aerobics

• Yoga

• Circuit training
• Swimming
• Cycling

The new curriculum also inspires lifetime fitness by providing students with more choice. For example, students may choose what they participate in: spinning or yoga, archery or the weight room. Participation has skyrocketed, and teachers don’t hear complaints about P.E. like they used to. 

P.E. isn’t the only class that has changed to better meet students’ physical activity needs. Find out more about trends in physical education and other strategies innovative schools are using to improve student learning in our guide, “Active Students Achieve More.”