Some time ago I mentioned the fact that many children in the UK don’t think personal hygiene is that important and as a result most don’t shower at school after physical education P.E. like we did or had too when we were at school over 30 years ago. More than half of secondary school boys and two-thirds of girls never shower after PE, a study suggests. The paper, in the European Journal of Sports Sciences, concludes pupils who do not shower are less active.
The researchers, from the University of Essex, say children may be holding back in PE lessons because of anxiety about showering. Public Health England says schools have an important role to play in shifting attitudes to encourage physical activity. This study says showering routinely after PE is extremely rare All had hot working showers in male and female changing rooms. The researchers say children may be holding back in PE lessons – and therefore missing out on the health benefits – because of anxiety about needing a shower. The study showed to those who did not shower were less active, and – among girls – less fit.
Just over one in two boys in the study said they never showered, about one in three said they did occasionally, and one in 10 said they always had a shower after PE. Two out of three girls said they never took a shower after a PE lesson, and one in four said they did sometimes. About one in 13 said they always showered. Dr Gavin Sandercock, who led the study, said he was surprised at how rare showering had become.
“We know that children aren’t getting enough physical activity because we have seen their fitness declining; if the unwillingness to shower is a barrier to working up a sweat or playing sport it’s something we need to tackle to promote activity at schools.”
Children who reported doing physical activity with adults in their families were twice as likely to shower after a PE class. Those who came from poorer backgrounds were 40% less likely to shower than those from less deprived backgrounds. But the researchers say concerns over showering are “a potential barrier to intense, fitness-promoting exercise”.
They cite evidence from previous studies which has highlighted fears of bullying and humiliation. They argue lack of time is more a perceived barrier to showering than a real one, and point out that all the schools had at least some children who always took a shower. In response, Pamela Naylor from Public Health England said body image was an important factor when it came to undressing and showering after PE – but said this was just one of many factors affecting activity levels. “Schools, workplaces and local authorities all have a role to play in shifting attitudes so that physical activity, and what comes with it, like sweating and the need for showering, is encouraged and accommodated.
“The more we embed physical activity into daily routine, the closer we are to living healthier lifestyles where it is normal for everybody to be active every day.” Alison Oliver from the Youth Sport Trust said any obstacles preventing young people taking part in PE were a real concern. I played sport for over 30 years and always showered afterwards. At school after P.E. there was always time to shower afterwards and mostly we did. I can remember the first time throwing ‘caution to the wind’ and walking around the changing room stark naked. It felt ok not wrong or rude and was this moment probably sowed the seeds in my mind that naturism was an enjoyable experience, I of course had a long way to go.
On the British Naturism forum in reply to the same story, replying to other remarks about forcing children to shower, I wrote: Unfortunately these days children are encouraged to be lazy by a society that wants to give them nearly everything on a plate.Schools do little to actually teach life traits, such as manners, politeness, cleanliness, etiquette they only teach to keep up the ratings of the schools in the league tables. Having had recent direct involvement with six Children…we see the goings on in modern day education. Teaching and learning go out the window being replaced by programming.
Kids will have forceful arguments with adults over things they’ve be told at school and will a lot of the time, believe they have better knowledge than the adults who have knowledge and experience in heaps. Basically many children don’t respect their elders they only respect, what they’re given as rewards. Having showers at school should be a matter of course these days, but because they don’t have to they think they don’t have to at home. I don’t believe having a shower at school is traumatic either, the more you have one, the more routine it is. Cleanliness is far better than spraying your body with body fragrance(like they do)….when you’ve got you’re CLOTHES ON 😲
I went on to say:
How many kids these days will take out cups, plates, glasses into the kitchen without being asked ? How many will put things away without being asked ? How many will wash up without being asked ? All kids get told what they should do or what they should see but they still don’t even if they’re going that way. School life probably counts for half of their teenage lives so its no good saying they shouldn’t be taught these things at school as well.
I did mention in that passage other general observations on young people these days, but the to are just so true. Showering is for most part of a daily routine primarily to promote cleanliness and prevent odour, disease and infection. Advances in science and medicine in the 19th century began to realize the benefit of regular bathing to an individual’s health. As a result, most modern cultures encourage a daily personal hygiene regimen. Showering has also developed the reputation as a relaxing and generally therapeutic activity, so why children are allowed to smell and sweat after sports at school goes against the lessons we are trying to instil when it comes to personal hygiene.
What’s This ???
As a naturist, as naturists most of us don’t have enormous body image problems, we’re all naked and wear skin. We don’t have to judge the fashions because there is only one fashion the nude one. You don’t need the latest threads or the trendiest trainers just a hat, flip flops and a smile. It doesn’t help when you see people in adverts for things you’d do naked like taking a shower, having a sauna, relaxing in the bath with swimming costumes on, as this gives the wrong impression too. In reality society has to restore some of the strict guidelines that were in place when we were at school and not keep giving it all to children on a plate, they don’t appreciate it, they come to expect it and in the long run its for their own good…don’t you agree ?
Clothing in a sauna…so unhealthy !
A 2003 university study entitled “A Naked Ape Would Have Fewer Parasites” reports that “humans evolved hairlessness to reduce parasite loads, especially ectoparasites that may carry disease.” Unfortunately, the garments we wear can be a breeding ground for filthy fungi and bad bacterium, causing yeast infections, urinary tract infections, rotting toenails. Add to this the mud sweat and filth of not showering regularly at school and at home, it shows that children’s well being is being harmed by lack of personal hygiene education.