New publications
Exemption from PE or a healthier heart?
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
In recent years, the number of patients with cardiovascular diseases has increased in the world. Almost everyone knows the factors that provoke heart and vascular diseases - obesity, smoking, lack of physical activity, nervous strain, however, not many try to make any attempts to change their lives and prevent the development of the disease.
Human health is influenced by many factors – heredity, ecology, socio-economic status, level of medicine, etc., but a person can also maintain his own health by leading a healthy lifestyle.
Technological progress (mechanization of labor, development of transport, poor nutrition, etc.) has had a great impact on the health of the new generation and medicine, unfortunately, despite all its outstanding achievements, is not able to help a person who does not want it.
Previously, there was active propaganda of a healthy lifestyle at the state level, but today not many people understand that material well-being largely depends on health, especially this affects the health of children. According to experts, care for one's health should be instilled from childhood, since a growing organism without proper physical activity develops inadequately, including problems with blood vessels and the heart.
The modern pace of life has led to the fact that many schoolchildren and students have lower functional indicators of cardiovascular activity (compared to the data of children 10-20 years ago).
Nowadays, a great many parents are asking to exempt their children from physical education classes, and, as we know, it is precisely movement that modern children lack.
In physical education, there are several health groups - for healthy children, for children with some disabilities, and for sick children, but in practice, all children either pass the standards or bring a certificate of exemption from classes.
Many children cannot meet the specified standards due to reduced functional capabilities of the cardiovascular system, such children must undergo preliminary training to pass the standards. Now it is easier to release a child from classes than to work with him, however, by doing so, neither parents nor teachers think about the consequences for the child's health.
Before enrolling a child in a sports section, it is necessary to thoroughly examine him/her and, if any illnesses are present, undergo a course of treatment. In some cases, young athletes experience myocardial overstrain syndrome, which manifests itself in weakness, increased blood pressure, interruptions in the work of the heart, etc. This condition is associated with a sharp increase in the load during training or the discrepancy between sports loads and the functional capabilities of children, but chronic infections (tonsillitis, sinusitis, etc.) can also contribute to the pathology.
Experts emphasize that adults and children should pay great attention to physical activity; parents can, by their own example, teach their children a healthy lifestyle and exercise.
Doctors noted that physical education is useful for people of any age, there are no absolute contraindications to physical exercise, only for certain diseases special gymnastics is indicated.
[