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BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) IN SCHOOLS
It is generally accepted that regular exercise improves health and fitness. Health can be defined as a state of complete mental, social and physical well-being; not merely the absence of illness or infirmity. Fitness has been described as the ability to meet the demands of the environment.
The benefits from doing regular physical exercise include:
• improved confidence;
• relief from tension / stress;
• weight loss / control;
• improved posture / body shape;
• improvement in co-operation / team skills;
• meeting people /making friends.
As children are continuously developing physically and emotionally, they are especially affected by the benefits of activity; conversely, there can be negative effects of inactivity.
Schools cannot control or dictate the amount of exercise a child gets at home or outside school. Consequently, it is vital that schools provide formal PE lessons to ensure that children stay active and get some form of regular exercise, especially as they spend a good proportion of the day there. The PE programs in schools directly affect a child’s health; some of the health benefits being:
• combating obesity;
• reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, asthma;
• sleep disorders and other illnesses.
So, what are the most common sports that school children participate in? A 2013 UK study by the Department of Education titled, Evidence on Physical Education and Sport in Schools reported that:
• 5-10 year olds were mostly doing swimming and tennis.
• 11-15 year olds participated in football, tennis, rugby, cricket, table tennis and athletics.
• Across both age groups there had been a significant reduction of walking/hiking.
Generally, school PE programs will focus primarily on the actual physical aspect however there is now a shift in emphasis towards also learning about the fundamentals of healthy lifestyles. In addition to plenary sessions, schools are using game-based activities that are fun and educational to promote the importance of exercise, healthy food, balanced diets, importance of sleep, ‘5-a-day’, consequences of smoking, drugs and alcohol, impact of eating too much sugar, salt and fat, junk food etc.
Globally, all schools will have PE as part of their curriculum at all stages of the child’s school career and will usually insist on the child’s participation in the designated activity. This aspect of their education should help children to evolve and grow but at the same time maintain their desire to continue with ‘PE’ post their formal school career.
https://readfoundation.org.uk/benefits-of-physical-education-pe-in-schools/ Accessed July 1, 2019. Adapted.
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