The Motivation Factor - Physical Education in schools in 1960's - #JFKChallenge

In 1962, JFK gave a speech to the nation challenging them to make a "great national effort." He held the La Sierra High PE up as the model for the nation to follow. 4,000 high schools followed this program. This is the only known digitized copy of his speech. The footage shows one high school PE class. Remember, this is a normal PE class at high school. This was PE 50 years ago in America! This is just a small part of a full documentary film project we are working on that shows the "why" behind vigorous physical exercise. It has interviews with top MD's and Ph.D's from Harvard Medical School, MIT, Cleveland Clinic, MUSC, etc., and summarizes over 1,000 peer-reviewed studies linking vigorous physical exercise to emotional health, high academic test scores, and productivity.

Producer/Director: Doug Orchard, MLS
History Team Lead: Ron Jones, MS

Music: Hero_Theme by MK2

[connorbeauman]

So my pe teacher wasn't lying when he said his grandma could run faster than me

[FortunePathVenerable]

The era where having a 6 pack make you a normie.

[Crimsonphilic]

Holy shit. He made a whole school of Captain Americas.

[aniketbhavik]

bullies in this school have to be UFC level skilled

[speedy]

If we tried this nowadays there would be a shitton of lawsuits and calling it abuse and inhumane

[MBNFIJI]

Damn they look like spartans in training

[SofronPolitis]

"A country is as strong as its citizens."
Damn

[santaclaus]

True story here: at age 14, before COVID hit, my son was 210 pounds of fat, played video games, ate junk, and basically could not run even 50 yards. Good kid but just obese, slow lumbering sort of pleasant young man. Somewhat depressed also. Then COVID hit. My daughter asked me to buy a treadmill so she could exercise in the garage after her online school etc. I thought it was going to be another useless purchase but the daughter never asks for anything so I went ahead and bought a decent mid-priced treadmill. I put it in the garage. The daughter started using it. One day, about a week later, to my surprise I noticed my son out in the garage get on it and try to walk/run for about 3 minutes. I said nothing to him as he was very self conscious. Anyway, after that day he started going on that treadmill everyday. First he walked a bit, then he started running on it, but he did it everyday. He literally did not take a day off, at all. Fast forward 6 months and he had lost around 50 pounds and was running 3 miles minimum everyday and doing pull ups etc. Then, miracle of miracles, he decided to join the high school track team in 400 meter hurdles and actually competed in all the meets all season. He did not win any meets, but to me he was the biggest winner of all. A kid who could not run 50 yards at age 14/15, running 400 meters in regional high school meets and being competitive with the best of the regional runners. To this day, he exercises everyday.... running, weights etc. He is a good kid. Now he has graduated from high school and I hope he continues to keep himself healthy in life. Just wanted to share this little story.

[Sikorsky]

""No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable"-Socrates

[odin]

Now you get in trouble for just mentioning how out of shape people are.

[ilikechimps]

Think about how doing this would also significantly lower the amount of anxious/depressed young people, working out not only improves the physique, but also the mental state of a person.

[hellogais]

If everyone was forced to be fit it would solve a lot of problems also free up some space in hospitals

[vrmthiu]

The schools need this so badly right now!!

[brianjanssens]

If you go to school with that kind of physice nowadays you'd be looked at like a young god.

[dzvevoh]

I wish I lived in that time and went to that school .

[djolley]

There's a military quality to it.

[FooTude]

We are now at the time where we are spectators and NOT on the field!

[pvnfguu]

Now schools are cutting PE entirely. Sad.

[VpKing]

People think this only improved physical strength but is also makes you strong mentality

[jackdaniels]

I bet those kids turned into healthy adults too.