STRONG MINDS REQUIRE A LIFE-LONG PLAN FOR HEALTH, FITNESS AND VITALITY
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In previous columns I have stressed academic and cognitive aspects of education. In this article I would like to shift attention instead to the need to enhance education about our bodies and health.
We too often forget the ancient Greek wisdom related to the importance of a “sound mind in a sound body.” And, of course, it was the Greeks who gave us the modern day Olympics, which celebrate physical fitness and excellence.
Schools, at all levels, have an important role to play in fostering a commitment to know how to live healthily and to develop a life-long commitment to exercise.
The Princeton economist Paul Krugman stresses that the future of nations depends on the productivity of their people. Apart from brain power and skill development, productivity is also influenced by the health and energy of the workforce. Work days lost to sickness adversely reduce productivity.
Health costs are growing exponentially all over the world and represent a major drain on economies. Obesity, for example, is becoming a global problem. It has been estimated that obesity costs the US economy approximately $270 billion a year.
I have been involved with Thai education for over five decades. In visiting Thai schools I have encountered growing obesity among students. Research done by the Kasikorn Research Centre supports these observations, revealing that in 2008, 10 to 12 million Thais were overweight, roughly 16 percent of the population. Research from the same centre indicates that between 1986 and 2004, the number of overweight Thais increased an astonishing 7.5 times!
There are many factors accounting for this phenomenon. A major one is the dramatic growth in fast food chains such as KFC, McDonald’s, Mister Donut, and Pizza Company.
In 2007, the National Statistical Office (NSO) conducted a national survey of exercise patterns among Thais. The results were quite disappointing, indicating that just under 30 per cent of Thais are exercising. The same data showed a strong negative correlation between age and exercise. In fact, it should be the opposite. As we grow older, it is even more important to exercise.
School curricula need to emphasise two themes: the nature of a healthy diet and the benefits of a life-long commitment to exercise and what that means.
As part of their school curricula, students should critically assess both diverse foods and forms of exercise from a health perspective. For example, they need to know that consumption of both white rice and white bread contributes to the development of diabetes 2. In Minnesota, which is one of the healthiest states in the US, one in three adults are either diabetic or pre-diabetic.
To discourage the consumption of unhealthy soda pop, Hopkins School in Minnesota has eliminated vending machines with such drinks, replaced with machines marketing healthy diverse fruit juices.
In an information age, more and more people are spending significant time sitting in front of computer screens. Students need to be aware of the dangers of such long periods of sitting and explore ways of dealing with this problem. One strategy is to have both standing and sitting work sites. A second strategy is to take frequent breaks from sitting with brief exercise intervals such as climbing steps.
I once had the privilege of working for Nike. The major thing I took away from this valuable experience was the importance of the concept of cross-training. Students need to be introduced to this creative approach to exercise. It is based on the notion that each sport and type of exercise involves different muscle groups. By doing cross-training and playing diverse sports, individuals maximise the benefits from exercise and minimise chances of injury.
Students also need to be exposed to creative ways to find exercise opportunities in everyday life. While waiting for planes, buses, or trains, people can easily walk instead of sitting. On long flights it is easy to do, for example, wall push-ups. Over a year this can result in much “free” exercise occurring during essentially “down time.”
There are also important valuable forms of exercise little utilised such as walking backwards, a practice recognised in ancient Chinese wisdom. Walking backwards burns far more calories than walking forward, but, of course, must be done in a safe, controlled environment. Climbing steps backward has many unexpected health benefits and has been termed the “Feldenkrais Method” discovered by the physicist Moshe Feldenkrais.
Several years ago in visiting remote schools in central Japan, I discovered a school that including learning to ride a unicycle as part of the curriculum. The rationale was that riding a unicycle contributes to the development of balance important in many sports and that learning to ride one requires considerable persistence and perseverance.
Several years ago I recall being at the headquarters of the The Nation at Bang Na and saw a sign near the lift indicating how much energy would be saved if individuals used the steps instead of the elevator. This is a good example of how corporations can contribute to healthier living.
Thus, a commitment to life-long exercise and healthy diet will not only enhance individual productivity and longevity, but also enhance the quality of life in later years.
GERALD W. FRY
Distinguished International Professor Department of Organisational Leadership, Policy, and Development University of Minnesota
