Chase Hoskings
Contributing Writer
Students are allowed to go outside during lunch, but recreational activity is not permitted during this time. Webster should introduce an optional “recess” to provide students and faculty with an opportunity for physical activity and fun.
Hixson’s recess policy allows students to play on the field after they eat lunch in the allotted 30 minutes. This is similar to Webster Groves High School’s 27-minute lunch and could allow students to enjoy physical activity if a similar policy is passed
The benefits of physical activity are vast and very important to build as a habit for young adults’ lives.
According to the CDC, regular physical activity can help keep thinking, learning and judgment skills sharp with age. It can also reduce the risk of depression and anxiety and help improve sleep. Just 150 minutes of physical activity a week helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and it can also help reduce the risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Students who do not take a PE class or play a sport outside school have fewer opportunities to get physical exercise. If you finish eating and can go outside, this would help solve this problem and improve the health of the student body.
Kopplin Field would be a perfect spot for students to get extra physical activity after they eat lunch, with no food or drinks allowed on the turf. A staircase leads directly up to the field, and a vast, fenced-in area is available for students to play and burn off extra energy.
A teacher would need to supervise the area, but because the field is fenced, this could be done by one or two teachers.
Feature Image: Kopplin Field home plate after softball season Nov. 14. Photo by Chase Hoskins
Support our Sponsors
