Is there an alternative to the School Dream Gym?
I. This isn't a technical question. It's a question about children's futures.

In a world full of data and analytics, one question remains unanswered: do we really care about children's health – or are we just pretending to?
Children are weakening. Biologically. Mentally. Socially. The WHO warns of a global crisis in physical activity. The MAHA Commission – appointed by the US Senate – confirms a dramatic decline in muscle strength and fitness among the younger generation. More and more children are unable to perform simple movements: pull-ups, squats, or support their own body weight.
We don't just describe it. We propose a solution.
But before we present the finished model, we ask a question that every adult should ask themselves today:
Does anyone have a better solution than the School Dream Gym?
If so, please show them. If not, don't block us.
II. Diagnosing the Problem – and Why You Can't Wait It Out
Loss of muscle strength
Children can't do pull-ups. They can't maintain a position, contract muscles, or overcome resistance. This isn't laziness —it's biological degradation. Today we're talking about pediatric sarcopenia and dynapenia. This lack of muscle, which is the foundation of metabolic health, immunity, posture, and well-being.
Body and mind are one. Children without strength are children without self-confidence. Anxiety, depression, thoughts of resignation, and loneliness are increasingly common. The body offers no support—neither physical nor emotional. And the system offers children nothing to rebuild this strength.
Mental and emotional decline
Loss of meaning and exclusion
School is no longer a place of empowerment. More and more students—especially those with physical disabilities or disabilities—feel excluded, invisible, and overlooked. The system fails to recognize their needs or potential.
III. Why the current system can no longer be counted on
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Too few hours.
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Too little intensity.
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Too little individualized approach.
For many children, physical education is a source of shame, stress, boredom, or frustration. It doesn't build strength, teach technique, or foster a sense of pride in one's own body.
PE – too weak and too ineffective
Infrastructure – beautiful but useless
Many decision-makers will say, "We're building sports fields, arenas, and playgrounds." But we ask: do children actually use them in ways that improve their health?
Most often, no. The arena is a functional void. The playground is a space for the youngest. The playing field – only for the chosen few.
Smartwatch, app, step counter. Sounds modern. But does it build strength? Does it change a child's biology?
No. It's just a digital illusion of action. Motivation without results.
Modern technologies – the appearance of activity
IV. School Dream Gym – what does it really offer?
We're not fitness enthusiasts. We're realists. We propose a solution that addresses precisely the problem we described above.
Full-body strength training
The child learns to overcome resistance – gradually, safely, and progressively. They develop all muscle groups: legs, back, arms, and core. They build muscle mass, stability, and posture. They return to biological balance.

The gym doesn't just strengthen—it teaches. Children learn about their bodies. They understand how muscles work. What regeneration, effort, and progression mean. What happens to blood sugar, breathing, and emotions.
Education about the body, metabolism and psyche
A safe and inclusive environment
This isn't PE. There's no competition. There's no public judging. Each child exercises for themselves. At their own pace. With the help of equipment that works equally well for able-bodied and disabled children.
An example? Bartek, a boy with cerebral palsy, who, thanks to available equipment, regularly strengthens his body and pushes beyond his limitations.
This isn't a basement with dumbbells. It's a beautiful space. Modern, colorful, with the children's favorite music. The only class the students actually want to come back to.
Aesthetics, music, inspiration
Economic reality
The cost of a single School Dream Gym is less than 1% of the cost of a sports hall. It can be built in any school – urban or rural, rich or poor, in Poland or the Global South.
V. False Alternatives – and Why They Don't Work
PE – not working.
Extracurricular activities – only for the elite.
Bicycles, walks, natural movement – biologically insufficient.
Apps – they don't change the body.
Sports hall – expensive and symbolic.
YouTube, home training – no support, no equipment, no safety.
We're not dogmatic. We've looked at all the other ideas. And we know one thing:
none of the following solutions have a systemic effect.
VI. Do they even want to solve this?
This is a question no one asks out loud. Because maybe the answer is: they don't want to.
Because children don't vote. Because they don't create political pressure. Because they don't generate profits.
But after reading this document , no one can say they didn't know.
Silence is a choice. And choices have consequences.
VII. If they want to act, they have a choice
No one is saying: you have to choose us. But we are saying: you have to choose something.
Because inaction is a decision that will cost generations.
If someone has a better solution , show it.
If not – let us act.
VIII. Open invitation – show us something better. If you don't have any – let us do it.
It's not up to us to win. It's up to the child to win.

Let them answer:
When? If not now, then when? If not you, then who? If not this, then what?
FAQ
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1. What is the MAHA Commission and why was it established in the USA?
The Muscular and Adolescent Health Assessment (MAHA) Commission was established in 2023 by the United States Senate at the initiative of Senator Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Its goal was to analyze the biological health of children and adolescents—particularly in the areas of muscular strength, endurance, metabolic efficiency, and physical capacity. The MAHA report described a drastic decline in American children's performance over the past 40 years—including in tests of strength, pull-ups, long jump, and endurance. The findings are alarming and have global implications, as they apply not only to the United States but to every country with a similar model of education and urbanization.
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2. Is strength training safe for children?
Yes – as long as it's performed under supervision, with proper technique, and appropriate for age. Dozens of studies (including Faigenbaum, NSCA, WHO) show that resistance training in children is not only safe but essential for the proper development of bones, muscles, the nervous system, and posture. Training at the School Gym of Dreams isn't bodybuilding – it's a systemic model of functional strengthening for the whole body, which protects against injury, improves metabolism, and supports mental well-being.
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3. Won't children be discouraged from exercising if they have to do strength training?
Quite the opposite. Children and young people who exercise in an aesthetic, inspiring, and diverse space begin to enjoy exercise—because they see progress, feel the results, and have control over their bodies.
At the School Dream Gym, there's no competition or pressure. There are individual goals, a calm rhythm, music, a supportive voice, and an aesthetic that resonates emotionally. It's not an obligation—it's a privilege. That's why kids want to come back.
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4. Will the School Dream Gym be destroyed or unused?
On the contrary – history shows that spaces designed with heart, aesthetics, and meaning are protected by the students themselves. The School Dream Gym is not a "storage room" but a place that fosters a sense of pride, responsibility, and belonging. A well-run gym becomes a center of health, socializing, mutual support, and school identity. And it is precisely such spaces that are most respected and nurtured.
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5. Who should lead these classes? Are the physical education teachers prepared?
PE teachers are natural leaders, but they require support and training—which can be delivered through short courses, digital modules, and hands-on training. Personal trainers aren't necessary—a good system, safety, and teaching tools are sufficient. Support from school nurses, educators, volunteers, and the local community is also possible. The School Dream Gym model assumes simple implementation and minimal institutional barriers.
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6. Isn't it enough to simply reform PE?
PE in its current form is incapable of rebuilding children's biological strength. It is too general, too low in intensity, and lacks a progression structure. The introduction of the School Dream Gym doesn't replace PE, but enhances it. It adds a dimension of strength, body awareness, and inspiration that traditional approaches lack. It's like supplementing the diet with missing nutrients.
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7. Is the School Dream Gym a project only for rich countries?
No. Quite the opposite – it's one of the few solutions that can be implemented in schools worldwide. The cost of a single gym is less than 1% of the cost of building a sports hall. Only dozens of square meters and a single set of equipment are required, allowing for over 1,000 exercises. The gym can operate in a classroom, a container, a basement, an after-school club – anywhere children are present and need to be kept fit.
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8. Is this solution consistent with the core curriculum of education?
Yes – because it fits within the framework of health, physical, and social education. Moreover, in many countries, formal space exists for the implementation of innovative health and movement programs within the framework of school autonomy. Modern curricula increasingly call for innovation, health prevention, and combating exclusion. The School Dream Gym aligns with these goals with perfect precision.
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9. Why do we focus so much on muscle mass and strength?
Because it's the biological foundation of health— just like the immune or respiratory systems. Muscle mass isn't just for aesthetics—it's key to: healthy metabolism, protection against type 2 diabetes, improved mental health, injury prevention, and support for the skeletal system. In an age when children spend hours sedentary and have little opportunity for physical exertion, muscle loss becomes a systemic problem.
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10. Do children really want this? Isn't this the adults' idea?
Children are calling for change— they just don't yet have the language to express it. When we show them the School Dream Gym, they respond enthusiastically: "This is beautiful," "Finally, something for us," "I feel strong here," "I'm not afraid of being ridiculed." Children don't need any more coercion—they need places that inspire them. We've simply created a response to their unspoken plea.
Library of citations and scientific sources
1. "Children today have significantly lower levels of muscular strength than children did in previous generations."
– Tomkinson et al., Temporal Trends in Muscular Fitness, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016
2. "Resistance training in youth improves muscle mass, bone density, insulin sensitivity, and mental health."
– Faigenbaum et al., Youth Resistance Training: Updated Position Statement, NSCA, 2022
3. "Pediatric dynapenia is a silent epidemic undermining metabolic resilience in school-aged children."
– Lavie & Arena, Current Sports Medicine Reports, 2023
4. "Early physical strength is a predictor of adult health, independence, and reduced healthcare costs."
– Dodds et al., Muscle Strength across Life Course, The Lancet, 2014
Bibliography
1. Tomkinson GR, Olds TS, et al. Temporal trends in muscular fitness among children and adolescents: a systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(4):232–240.
2. Faigenbaum AD, Lloyd RS, Myer GD, et al. Youth Resistance Training: Updated Position Statement Paper from the NSCA. J Strength Cond Res. 2022;36(4):1073–1089.
3.Lavie CJ, Arena R. Pediatric dynapenia: A silent threat. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2023;22(1):1–3.
4. Dodds RM, Kuh D, Sayer AA, Cooper R. Muscle strength across the life course: current evidence and future research directions. Lancet. 2014;384(9959):455–467.
5. World Health Organization. Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior. Geneva: WHO; 2020. ISBN: 978-92-4-001512-8.
6. MAHA Commission. Final Report: Muscular Decline in American Youth and Its Systemic Causes. Washington DC: US Senate Health Subcommittee; 2024.

