Picked Last: How School PE Trauma Might Still Affect Your Relationship With Exercise

Picked Last: How School PE Trauma Might Still Affect Your Relationship With Exercise

From The Midlife Mentors by The Midlife Mentors

April 25, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode discusses how negative experiences in school PE can impact adult attitudes towards exercise.

Send us Fan Mail A recent Age UK study found that nearly a third of adults still feel affected by their school PE experiences… with many put off exercise for life. Not because they’re lazy, but because of how it made them feel. Being picked last. Feeling judged. Not fitting in. And what’s interesting is - those moments didn’t stay in childhood. They shaped the story you might still be telling yourself now… “I’m not sporty”, “exercise isn’t for me” or "I’m not good enough…" So today, we’re ...

People in this episode

Host: The Midlife Mentors

Topics covered

  • school PE trauma
  • exercise relationship
  • self-esteem
  • mental health
  • childhood experiences

Keywords

  • PE trauma
  • exercise
  • self-worth
  • mental barriers
  • childhood
  • fitness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Age UK

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