Episode 258: Bring back Physical Education Training (Science Backed Info) Not Just My Opinion + LIVE QA

Tactical Fitness Report with Stew Smith Podcast

Stew Smith - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com discusses bringing back physical education and training in schools. New Meta-Analysis proves what many of us have been thinking / saying for decades:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-023-01881-6

Throughout time, the discussion of the younger generation not being capable of taking on the challenges of adulthood has been taken place by the older generations. When I was going through SEAL training, the Vietnam Veteran SEAL instructors called our class the MTV generation – having grown up in the 80s and had access to increasingly more TV channels to tune into than earlier generations. Therefore, the article's tone is based on the science behind this decade-old opinion and the audience of parents, teachers, and school administrators.

This is not just the opinion of a grumpy old fitness writer who grew up with PE Classes throughout every grade of school, but a thorough meta-analysis of scientific studies on children and adolescents who needed more physical activity in their day. The question is how dangerous a higher percentage of unphysically fit youth is for our youth and our National Defense. To have generations of military-aged men and women unable to join due to obesity, failure to meet the height/weight/body fat standards, and not being physically able enough to pass any of the entry-level fitness tests. There have been suggestions at one end of the spectrum to get rid of physical fitness standards for not just the military but for police and fire services as well.
Robinson, K., Riley, N., Owen, K. et al. Effects of Resistance Training on Academic Outcomes in School-Aged Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01881-6