Walking for Fitness is the most popular class to take at MIHS due to its reputation as an “easy A” class, so some members of the MIHS staff have finally decided to make the course worth the A.

“We did this because the kids were taking the course for an easy A, when we want the kids to actually be doing fitness and moving around,” Walking for Fitness teacher, Jim Swire said. According to Swire, he wants students to be doing activities other than walking for an A, despite the course title.

Now, what does this new system entail? 

“Well, along with the traditional Walking for Fitness trail that loops around Luther Burbank Park, the administration added some different obstacles for students to participate in. To promote fitness, of course,” Swire added. 

“I wouldn’t call them ‘traps’ necessarily, just, obstacles to promote fitness. There are hurdles, trapdoors where if you walk on top of them you fall into the lake, a knock-off wipeout course that knocks walkers into the water and they have to swim to shore, just basic stuff like that. To promote fitness,” Swire said.

Another Walking for Fitness instructor, Cara Pine, approves of this system. 

“The benefits of this system are quite simple, actually, the kids are getting more exercise, the kid’s reaction times get improved, they also get to exercise in many ways other than just walking,” Pine said.

“More benefits of this system include the opportunity to show students that they cannot be lethargic all the time, it will not pay off how they think it will. These new systems show students that not everything is going to go how they expect. They might walk into class expecting to be leisurely walking, but alas, they must escape elaborate traps to get more exercise.” Pine added. 

Teachers for different subjects also approve of this new system. 

“I do approve. I actually helped choose where to put some of the traps! Obstacles! I mean. Obstacles,” history teacher Bianca White said.

Even higher administration approves of this system! Most notably, Principal Aout O’Shaep. 

“I just think that these new systems being implemented are fabulous. They get the students moving, the Walking for Fitness teachers get to see their students moving, and they get to see their students get fooled by the obstacles. There is also the addition of teaching life lessons about not being lazy and not always getting what is expected,” O’Shaep mentions. “Just remember, this is all in the name of fitness and exercise, nothing else.”