High school physical education classes have the potential to exert a tremendous positive impact on the students’ mental, physical and social well-being.
The opportunity to mentally relax during a tough academic schedule helps to reduce tension and mental stress. Physical education classes also provide an excellent possibility to focus on physical health and may serve as an outlet for socialization.
Boosts the Immune System
Participation in physical education classes contributes directly to improvements in physical health, which indirectly impacts the immune system. Physical activity helps to increase the body’s potential for fighting sickness and disease by enhancing the fighting potential of immune system cells that encounter unwelcome bacteria in the body. When high school students are healthier, they are less stressed because they aren’t missing important classes and they can better stay on top of their schoolwork.
Increases Physical Fitness
High school physical education class provides an opportunity to increase muscular strength. Being physically fit increases the body’s ability to endure the effects of stress. Physical fitness benefits of a high school physical education class include the potential for an increase in cardiovascular fitness; muscular endurance, tone and strength; flexibility; and agility. Additionally, physical exercise works to decrease your resting heart rate and improves circulation, leading to a higher level of fitness. Some physical education classes focus on adopting a life-time fitness plan, which can reduce the short- and long-term effects of stress, and feeling healthy can reduce the perception of stress, as well.
Reduces Mental Stress
High school students need a mental break during the day. Given the strong emphasis on student achievement and high stakes testing in high school, there is little time in the classroom for relaxation. Staff from the May Clinic note that participation in physical activities increases the release of beta endorphins, the natural mood enhances of our brains. With an improvement in mood, a student may develop a more optimistic perception of the daily tasks ahead and continue with greater mental energy and less stress.
Increases Social Opportunities
Physical education provides an opportunity for laughing and interacting with others. Physical education classes help to reduce stress by providing students the opportunity to participate in activities that allow them to interact as teammates and/or competitors and to develop and refine social skills. Physical education classes often allow for talking, laughing and other positive social expressions which decrease stress levels. These positive social expressions also have the potential to trigger the release of beta endorphins, helping to decrease the amount of stress the students feel.