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A Message To You
As many of you know, for years I served under
President Bush as the Chairman of President's Council
on Physical Fitness and on the California Governor's
Council on Fitness. I declared war on "Couch
Potatoes" and visited all fifty states on a
crusade to promote physical fitness. It was very
important to me then, and now that Maria and I are the
proud parents of four "Schwarzen-Shrivers",
the subject is of even greater importance.
We've made great strides in the last decade, but
America still falls seriously behind other nations in
Fitness. Many of America's youngsters between the ages
of 5 and 8 already show at least one heart-disease
risk factor: obesity, elevated cholesterol or high
blood pressure. This is America's secret tragedy. Most
students, male or female, can't run a mile in less
than 10 minutes or do a single pull up. These
statistics are alarming, and the fact is that only WE
have the power to do something about these problems.
Already most of you have come up with ten excuses why
you can't do something. But I don't buy the word
"can't". It's not in my vocabulary and I
know you can get it out of yours. Ask yourself, would
you rather get fit and healthier?... or slower... and
sicker?
Fitness must start at an early age. We must get daily
physical education back into our schools. I am
especially concerned with states that are doing little
or nothing to promote Daily Quality Physical Education
Classes. These classes not only get young people fit
and reduce their cholesterol, their stress and their
health risks, but at the same time also increase their
stamina, their energy and their coordination. In
addition, they also learn valuable tools for life--
discipline, camaraderie, competition and they gain
self-esteem and do better academically. But most
importantly young people learn how to stay healthy--
and because they feel good about themselves, they are
less likely to get involved with drugs or alcohol.
Parents must insist that school boards support quality
daily physical education. Let me be clear here-- I'm
not talking about fitness only for those who try out
for the school teams. I'm talking about fitness for
those who don't make the teams-- those who aren't the
star quarterbacks or the star basketball players. It
doesn't take a lot of money and fancy equipment...
what it takes is will and opportunity. I've never paid
for a push-up or a sit-up in my life and I've done
millions. As parents, we all have the power to go back
to our local community and make changes in our
schools. First, we should put apples and oranges in
our vending machines and take out the junk food.
Second, insist we test student's fitness levels. We
test in math, english, science-- why not test in the
area of physical fitness too? Most importantly, if
there is a budget crunch, we shouldn't just cut
physical education completely out of the program-- we
wouldn't think of entirely eliminating math or
history-- instead we should make equal cuts from all
subjects. It's just as important to grow up fit as it
is to grow up smart.
But the responsibility for fitness cannot be left
entirely with our schools. Studies show that when
families exercise together, overweight kids lose their
extra pounds more quickly and the whole family
achieves a healthier lifestyle. Many parents say they
work long hours and don't have the time. That's
rubbish. If we can watch two hours of television at
night, we can find the time to spend 30 minutes with
our kids to promote fitness and health. And it's FUN!
Parents are looking for ways to communicate with their
youngsters. This is the way to do it--a walk after
dinner, a half hour of playing catch, a bike ride
together, kicking the soccer ball around... there are
a hundred different ways. The bottom line is that if
young people don't make the time to get fit today,
they are going to have spend the time at the doctor's
office tomorrow.
Young people are not the only ones at risk. Only a
small percentage of adults in the United States claim
they exercise regularly and far less do vigorously
enough to produce cardio-respiratory benefits. It's no
wonder more than 1.5 million Americans, many of them
at the peak of their careers, have heart attacks. I'm
also very concerned about our senior citizens. Those
who don't keep active seem to decline quickly. It's
important to inspire ourselves to exercise regardless
of age. We just have to make adjustments. But no
matter how old you are, there are exercises and
stretching routines, and activities such as dancing
and brisk walking, that will keep the cardiovascular
system going.
Get out and do it, America. But don't do it for me, do
it for yourselves. It will be fantastic!
Sincerely,
By Arnold Schwarzenegger
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