Have you ever done a complete 180 in attitude about something?

[radicalliberal]

9. Greetings, Denninmi! :) We had a brief exchange in one of Bonobo's topics a few days ago.

I wish I had spotted this topic of yours sooner.

I'm very sorry to hear about all the health problems you have had for much of your life. I can easily relate to your situation because of my own, although they're relatively few in number.

I'm not sure I would say you "changed your mind" about the benefits of physical exercise, and the reason why is you were never educated as to the necessity and benefits of physical exercise. The sad (and infuriating) fact is that none of us had the opportunity to learn these important facts because the mandatory boys' P.E. of our generation was a hypocritical fraud, as well as a bully's paradise. You (and the rest of us) were never instructed as to how necessary exercise was to develop and maintain good health. P.E. should have had a different name. There was no education in "Physical Education." The class was totally useless to nonathletic boys. The policymakers should have been honest for a change (instead of being so boneheaded and hypocritical) and named the class "Forced Sports" because that's all it really was. As far as I'm concerned, the President's Council on Physical Fitness was nothing but a big joke, and a cruel one at that. Were any remedial programs ever provided for those students who were out of shape? In the school years when I was forced to take P.E., I never even heard the words "exercise program" fall from the lips of any of my so-called instructors -- who, incidentally, didn't even teach about the sports themselves. I have nothing but contempt for those who want to impose the same sort of P.E. on the latest generation of nonathletic boys. (I'm amazed the defenders and promoters of the "old P.E." even include some progressives! A RW stance, I must say!) Yes, I realize there are school districts that have innovative P.E. programs; but the "old P.E." is still around in far too many districts, as far as I'm concerned.

Just think how healthy our society would be today if the nonathletic kids had been educated as to the benefits and, indeed, the necessity of physical exercise to one's health, especially with regard to preventing certain diseases! But that was not done because nonathletic boys were nonpersons in the world of mandatory P.E. and school sports -- nonpersons who were deserving of no concern or respect whatsoever. The fact that this vital information was not provided, especially to those who would have benefited immensely, is downright criminal.

To get back to the point I was making, you were never educated as to the benefits of physical exercise. Instead, P.E. forced you to associate (at least on an emotional level) any physical activity with sports and bullying. But the truth is that there is no real connection between sports and exercise programs! The most efficient way for a sedentary individual to get into shape is by getting on an exercise program and is NOT by wasting time learning how to play one or more sports. A sport should be a physical activity that a guy chooses to engage in for recreation of his own free will. But, of course, what has been the practice for generations is that sports are supposed to be test of manhood. Well, to that notion, I have this to say: Baloney! So, I would say the following to any sedentary guy whose boyhood mandatory P.E. experience left him with nothing but emotional scars: Physical fitness has absolutely nothing to do with sports! A health club is not a school gym! You won't regret placing membership at a good health club and hiring a personal trainer! Your health (and possibly your life) depends on it!

Just so I won't be misunderstood by any of the sports fans who read this post of mine, no, I do not believe team sports should be removed from schools. Every opportunity should be provided for all the kids who want to play sports. I even favor retaining the "old P.E." as an elective. Just let the kids who aren't interested in sports opt out.

Sorry for the lecture/rant, Denninmi. I just thought you were being unfair to yourself. I'm quite impressed with your own exercise program. It sounds even harder than my bodybuilding program. Of course, once I've gotten over the flu, I'm going to begin using an elliptical machine (one with movable handles) every single day when I don't do weightlifting, as my personal trainer told me to start doing. I mean using one for an entire hour uninterrupted. Now, that's murder!