Judy Murray blaming lack of PE for flabby generation

Published on 25/06/2012 02:45

JUDY Murray has blamed a lack of physical education in schools for creating a generation of “overweight and unco-ordinated” youngsters.

The mother of Scottish tennis star Andy Murray said she was shocked by the number of obese pupils she encountered during a recent tour of high schools.

The tennis coach said more PE in schools could help cut obesity and produce better athletes.

She was touring schools to promote her Set4Sport programme, which aims to improve grassroots participation in sport.

“I was doing a fair number of school visits where I was trying to introduce kids to tennis, and I was aware of a significant number who would be overweight and unco-ordinated, couldn’t throw and catch balls, couldn’t co-ordinate their arms and legs at the same time,” she said.

“Not all of them, but it seemed a lot more than I had perhaps thought or been aware of when I was growing up,” she added.

Ms Murray said PE lessons should be longer than 40 minutes, which often only involve 20 minutes of activity after the time spent changing is factored in.

“About 20 minutes three times a week is not an awful lot,” she said, urging schools to be more imaginative in their approach to exercise, by offering alternatives such as zumba dance fitness and aerobics.