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Summary

Physical education has often been justified as a subject which promotes ongoing involvement in physical activity for young people, both beyond the school gates and into adulthood. However, the subject faces challenges in promoting sustained physical activity among youth, prompting calls for reform in both content and teaching approaches. This chapter addresses this concern by reporting findings from an action research study implementing lifestyle sports interventions in two English secondary schools. Two lifestyle sports units (Parkour and a Kickboxing/Cross-Fit hybrid) were implemented with mixed-sex groups aged 11-13 years old, over a 6-8 lesson period. Units were delivered using a meaningful physical education approach and were taught by the lead researcher. Data collection encompasses teacher-researcher reflections, observations, and interviews with observing teachers. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and three major themes were drawn from the data Major themes include the purpose of physical education, the potential of lifestyle sports, and barriers to implementation. Insights highlight the innovative aspects of the approach and underscore the need for change in traditional methods. We discuss these findings in greater depth and make subsequent recommendations for both future research and practice in this area.