Fit for life

Regarding the Jan. 22 article “Goal: Fit student bodies”: I applaud any effort to improve the lifestyle choices of college-age students. Most of them have no idea how quickly they will reach middle age and how necessary it is to develop proper health and exercise habits early in life.

However, this new incentive at N.C. State University is hardly newsworthy when you consider the fact that for the past 40-plus years, with but few exceptions, every N.C. State student has been required to complete a 100-level health and fitness course in order to receive an undergraduate degree. These courses are taught by professional faculty in the Department of Physical Education and stress proper exercise techniques for improving and maintaining all of the components of physical fitness while emphasizing other healthy lifestyle concepts.

I feel certain that many N.C. State alumni who read your article were interested to see no reference to the fitness class experiences they shared as undergraduates and thought, “I learned that years ago!”

Joel Brothers

Associate professor emeritus, N.C. State

Corolla