More Than Just Exercise
More Than Just Exercise
Piper Bauer
Physical Education credits are a common requirement in order to graduate high school. However, these classes offer more than just
exercise. The class provides many ways to better live everyday life, with skills that you will carry with you throughout your life. PE helps teach important things such as working with others and building strength in a healthy way, building schools for both inside and outside of school.
At Flagstaff High School, you only need 0.5 Physical Education credits in order to graduate. You also need 0.5 health credits—they are combined in one class that people usually take during their freshman year of high school. Arizona is one of the few states where there is no state law that requires a PE credit to graduate; it is left for the school to decide. In a PE class, there is a lot more than just physical activity. Mr. Clever, one of the gym teachers, says, “I’ve had so many groups of students that didn't know each other in the beginning and made friends for class.” In these classes you need cooperation and teamwork for many of the required activities.
A physical education class is a break from the academically focused classes: there’s a lot less writing and more of a chance to socialize. The class focuses on physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This is done through creating a routine best suited for a person's life-style. This routine could have a variety of different activities such as team sports, individual exercises, and healthy eating habits. This encourages students to be more aware of their choices about their health in the future; so, PE makes students think more about being healthy, which assists them later in life.
Similar to other classes, PE class has also evolved over time. An example of this is the Presidential Fitness Test. The Presidential Fitness Test is a number of exercises that used to be required to pass many PE classes. The exercises included in the test are curl-ups, shuttle runs, pull-ups, push-ups, sit and reach, and the mile run. While the Obama administration originally retired this test in 2012, Trump signed an executive order July 31, 2025 to bring it back. The Presidential Fitness Test will be returning to schools during the 2026-2027 school year.
In conclusion, Physical Education credits are usually required to graduate high school, and while many people might find it an annoying requirement, they have the opportunity to leave a meaningful impact on a student's life. This class provides life lessons along with education, teaching crucial skills such as healthy habits, perseverance, and teamwork. This class continues to benefit even after you receive your diploma.
Link to The Talon 12th Edition