Odds are you fit into one of two categories: gym is your favorite “subject” or you try extremely hard to avoid touching the ball during that hour of organized play in the middle of your school day. Whether you’re one of these extremes, or somewhere in the middle, gym class is more important than you might think. Those 30 minutes or so don’t only give you time to run around and des-stress from the rest of your academic day, but it sets the tone for your fitness filled life.

Did you know that on average, only 1 in 3 kids are physically active everyday? You don’t have to set out on a run to be “physical active”, but something as simple as going for a walk with your dog or playing basketball in your driveway counts! Think about that; participating in gym class (to the best of your ability) would make you one of those 1 in 3 active kids. Why not take advantage?

In order to keep a healthy weight, a healthy heart, healthy brain and healthy body, you need to be active. Your habits when you’re young are going to transfer over into your adulthood, so now is a very important time to keep your body moving. If you don’t like the games your teacher has you playing, just remember that any activity is good activity for your health. You can even try making suggestions to your teachers if you have a game that you think the class would benefit from. Some examples are, soccer, flag football, soccer, frisbee and relay races.

While gym class is a great break in your day, it’s much more important than you would think. If you get in the habit of making fitness fun, you’re off to a great start of a healthy life.