For the overall development of a child, along with academics, which develop his mind, a child should participate in physical activities such as sports and exercises as well. Although, researches in the field have shown that physical education should be made mandatory in schools as it develops positivity, improves the attitude and fitness of the students, yet, due to various constraints, many schools are not really able to implement this. Lack of funds, increased emphasis on academics to up the scores in order to avail government funding; there are various reasons behind this policy of the schools for not making physical education compulsory. The following Buzzle article will perhaps help such school authorities, to have a fresh look at this topic... Importance of Physical Education Fitness Obesity is a very common problem faced by numerous American kids, which if not taken care of in time, can lead to many lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes in the long run. Engaging in physical activities help to burn calories and lose fat. Regular exercising builds muscles, makes the immune system strong and improves upon a child's stamina. This increases the fitness levels and keeps various diseases and health conditions in check. Self-esteem Physical activities help to keep a child active and focused. When a student participates in physical activities, he becomes fit and attractive, which helps to boost his self-esteem. After all everyone wants to look their best, regardless of age, isn't it? Life Lessons By participating in various sports, a student gets to learn so many things about life. A student wins some games and loses some, this makes him understand that winning and losing are a part of life and should be accepted with grace. When a student participates in team games, he learns that co-operating with others is very important if goals are to be achieved. Likewise, sports can teach so many life lessons to students and thus, help them evolve mentally. Healthy Eating During the theoretical physical education classes, a student is taught the importance of healthy eating. He gets to know how harmful some of his favorite foods such as pizzas, burgers, cakes and aerated drinks can be. A student is also made to understand that if he does not make healthy food choices, he can face many health problems in the future. Equipped with this knowledge, many students inculcate healthy eating habits, by giving up high sugar and fast foods and replacing them with healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and nuts. Hygiene Physical education classes lay great emphasis on maintaining hygiene. They teach students how to remain clean and germ-free at all times. Sex education is sometimes part of this curriculum too. The safe practices taught in these classes, if followed by the students throughout their life, will save them from many diseases. Stress Management Often times, students, particularly in their adolescent years, face various kinds of pressure and experience stress and anxiety. Participation in physical activities can act as a stress buster for them. Researches have shown that when a person exercises, the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, get reduced. Moreover, a person who exercises every day, is able to sleep better, thus giving enough time to his body to repair and restore. This proves that by making an exercise routine, a student can remain stress-free, relaxed and concentrate more on his studies and other important things. Productivity Researches show that students who participate in physical activities have high energy levels and are more alert than those who led sedentary lifestyles. Due to these very reasons, the productivity of such students in various spheres of life, including their studies, improves considerably. As can be seen, physical education contributes so much towards making a child grow into a healthy, intelligent, confident and level-headed adult. It can be rightly said that it's not just for individual growth, but for the improvement of the whole society, physical education should be made an important part of the school curriculum.