Reply #24: I agree. There's very little that's (life-long) "educational" in physical education.

[TahitiNut]

I strongly support an emphasis on life-long individual activities and personal disciplines - such as teaching Yoga, Tai Chi, and proper body mechanics. The commercial corruption of the physical education programs in public schools is appallingly evident - an emphasis on selling equipment. The sporting goods manufacturers rule the curriculum - in competition with the purveyors of junk food.

The infrastructure in our cities and towns don't offer the opportunities for all 20-somethings and 30-somethings and 40-somethings to indulge in the activities 'taught' to grade-school kids. Indeed, those who DO engage in such activities, due to the 'competitive' nature, are in the percentile of the population LEAST in need of such activities. One might opine that the reason they are is because the do participate - but I'd claim it's based on them already being 'better' at it than those needing such activities the most.

I swam in college (I never went to a grade school that had a pool) - and it's next-to-impossible for me to find a convenient and inexpensive place to swim laps in my neighborhood. Even the Y is somewhat costly and VERY limited in the times available to do lap-swimming. (My body mechanics have NEVER been adaptable to running or jogging - congenital scoliosis of the lower lumbar - but swimming suits me perfectly.)