I took this class the spring of 2017.
The tenth grade of high school was the last year I thought I had to take compulsory physical education. So when I came to Longwood, I was less than impressed that I was required to take another year of P.E.; I thought it must have been the same thing yet again. I was pleasantly surprised to find that PhEd motivated me to take care of my body. I started visiting the gym three times a week to run. By the end of the semester I could run two miles! I also became much more conscious of the foods I was consuming. I made small changes like limiting the processed foods I ate and eating more greens for lunch and dinner. A few weeks into the semester and I had more energy and a happier disposition more often.
While I felt some of the PhEd assignments were busy work, I did become more conscious of the importance of healthy living. Even now, I still try to incorporate what I learned about exercise, dieting, and stress management into my daily life.
PhEd required the use of a FitBit, or similar devices to track steps. Each day we were encouraged to reach 10,000 steps, but required to reach 70,000 by the end of the week. This is due to studies that claim 10,000 steps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and such. The first week was miserable because I had trouble reaching my goal! After I added my gym visits, it was much easier to reach the goal. Thus, this assignment really opened my eyes to the sedentary life I live as a student.
All in all, I am glad that I took PhEd, despite my initial judgements.
Attached is an example of my weekly step sheet I completed for grading.