Fitness Education for Life

I was nervously standing in front of the sturdy pink and green plastic block in the fitness trainer's office.  "Start anytime you want and continue until three minutes is up."  My right leg stepped on the box and went down, along with my left foot, with rhythmical metronome sounds.  The trainer entertained me for the whole three minutes by chatting with me, which I appreciated.  I was not bored.

"Your resting pulse was 81.  Usually, it recovers to the resting pulse in one minute, however yours took two minutes."  I was pretty amazed that my own heart didn't want to recover from the  excitement from the mild exercise.  Also, I concluded why I have disliked running since I was little.  Because my heart doesn't recover as quick as normal, my exhaustion remains within me longer than other people.  I remember this stepping activity as one of the physical fitness tests in Japanese Elementary School.

The Japanese Education Department has established Sports Tests and Fitness Assessments in public schools since the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 to encourage the whole nation to be more athletic.  In 1999, these assessments were adjusted.  Currently, the government promotes a wider range age group (6 to 79 years old)'s participation for the purpose of maintaining the nation's well being by facing the aging society. 

Aging or not, we have our own responsibilities to maintain our own body and mind.  It is beneficial that these students in public school have the opportunities to analyze their physical abilities and sports performance annually.  Sadly, many Japanese adults don't take advantage of their early fitness experiences well after their graduation in comparison to the U.S.  Our resourceful heath fitness awareness can be seen as early as in Elementary Schools.  Well being is as important as English, Language Arts, and Math.  If the fitness program (or assessment including nutritious education) is lacking in the school, they need something for each kid, some guidelines or standards that everyone can easily follow through.  Youngsters need to learn about their own bodies, their physical performance, and how to improve/maintain their qualities.  This kind of conversation should be heard more often at home and at their community at large.

So, for me, my self awareness just to recognize the importance of my well being started very late in my life.  But hey, better than never, right?  As my fitness endeavor continues, I would love to be an advocate for the students' and their families' well being too.  One day at a time.