Why is gym a requirement in high school and is there any way I can get out of it?

nearly 40% of Americans are obese... not fat, OBESE. the country cannot control itself therefore gym is compulsary. I understand how you are not overweight but if they were only to make the fat kids do gym then it would be discrimination, my advice, try and enjoy it, I love sport and find gym class is very beneficial

Use you medical issues as an excuse , I have problems with my hip so i.don't do like rugby , football ect.......

U.S. history lesson: At my school, we only had to take gym when we were Freshmen or if we couldn't get exempted from it by filling up our schedules. In order to be allowed study hall, you had to take gym, but it wasn't always that way. It used to be a lot worse. You have it much better. During the time that the U.S. was so scared that the Soviets would attack, a certain amount of gym was mandatory for all students 6th grade and above (perhaps younger, but I only remember my dad talking about how it was when he was in 6th grade-12th grade). Usually it included proving that you could swim. Standards were high. The government wanted to make sure everyone who might be needed to serve the country in war had a certain level of physical fitness. After the Soviet threat subsided, such policies changed very slowly. There are some colleges which even have gym as a requirement for graduation. Generally colleges make such classes more worthwhile then high schools do though by providing education about nutrition and safety at the same time. The university I go to has recently changed its policy about physical education. Most young people have been brainwashed into thinking that gym class is for fitness, weight loss, or even stress relief. You wish! Ask your grandpa about what it's really for. He'll tell you. And maybe he'll also tell you how very unfun it was too. So that's it: the government wanted all young people physically fit enough to fight the Communists. It would've been much better if your history teacher had told you that. Unfortunately, high schoolers usually don't learn much about U.S history. What happened during the Cold War still effects us today; that's the importance of history. But even a old "fart" like Bradley doesn't know about that. And I used to think that he was really old! So tell the school board that the Soviets (or prehaps the Iranians now) aren't going to get us if everyone doesn't take gym!

Use you medical issues as an excuse , I have problems with my hip so i.don't do like rugby , football ect.......