Mens sana in corpore sano translated from Latin means “a sound mind in a sound body.” How to promote this balance for our grandchildren through their school PE experience.

This post reflects a compensated editorial partnership with Voices for Healthy Kids, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

What do you remember from your school PE days? My memories aren’t that favorable. They include balancing acts on the monkey bars while keeping my dress down, dreading to see which team I would be picked for, and plenty of bruised shins and hands resulting from missing the mark during kickball and tether ball.  I remember how school PE in the 60’s and 70’s was regimented, predictable, and plain boring; a dedicated 20 minutes playing a group sport that only a few students excelled at and that a hundred students did all they could to get out of it (including me).  I was not a fan.

It wasn’t until my adult years that I fully appreciated the opportunity to choose to stay healthy and fit because as I have learned, a sound body also provides for a sound mind. And keeping a sound mind and body in my later years is becoming more and more important the older I get!!

Just because it took me so long to see the benefits of a regular physical education program in my life, doesn’t mean history has to repeat itself with my grandchildren.

Today’s school PE is NOT my generation’s PE. That’s why grandparents need to step up & #ProtectPE for our youth  Click To Tweet

There’s nothing I want more than to see my grandchildren succeed in school and life. With daily school PE, children’s hearts are kept healthy and their minds are geared up to do their best throughout the school day. The fact is, active kids learn better. And the benefits don’t end there. Physical education has positive impacts on their physical, mental, and emotional health.

From serving as a School Board Trustee in California, I know firsthand that today’s school PE isn’t the dreadful, embarrassing school PE of the past. Instead, it has evolved in to encouraging our youth with a mindset and the tools to pursue a lifetime of creating a sound body and mind. Modeling team and independent sports skills, running, stretching, and just getting up and moving regularly have become great ways to experience school PE. My district’s PE commitment has resulted in better discipline and better learning – a win for all students. And we are always looking for more ways to add additional school PE activities that meets the standards AHA supports.

Unfortunately, not all schools in all states have set these same priorities.

That’s a lot of kids missing out on a sound mind and a sound body!! Where does your grandchild’s school PE program stand? You can check here to find out.

If the children in your life aren’t getting the beneficial results of a school PE program, you can change that. Start by making sure federal funding for school PE through ESSA is being utilized. Then participate with the Voices for Healthy Kids initiative, where anyone, (like concerned grandparents) can join in and foster a national conversation about the need to ensure quality physical education as a part of every child’s education.

Our grandchildren are fortunate; research has led the way for a more productive and beneficial school PE experience. Let’s do all we can to ensure our grandchildren are set for a bright future that begins with providing daily PE for all children’s mental, physical, and emotional health.  Supporting Voices for Healthy Kids is a great way to start!!

***Note: Now that summer break from school is here, keep up the physical education habit and get the children in your life moving during the summer months when they are out of school. There are so many opportunities to join them in hiking, biking, swimming, playing at the park, and playing all kinds of ball games. What a great way to stay healthy AND enjoy some great time together!!!