The Impact that Physical Education Can Have on Encouraging Young People to Engage in Physical Activity

Participation in sport and physical activity is commonly promoted for its positive impact on children’s mental and physical health, leaving its impact on cognitive advancement often overlooked. The reason for this is predominantly the increase of anxiety on schools and educators to ensure children accomplish academic achievement (Martin, 2010). In this literature review I will be looking at the impact physical activity and physical education has on the academic achievement and health of primary aged students. My research question is; what impact does physical activity and physical education have on the academic performance and health of primary aged students? Firstly I will discuss whether or not it impacts academic achievement, and later on I will examine the specific academic and health impacts. I will predominantly be examining and critically analysing six pieces of literature. This literature review reports on research undertaken by Dottie Gonzalesz (2009), Eero Haapala (2012), Jennifer Etnier (2003), Dr Karen Martin (2010), Stead & Nevill (2010), and Phillip D Tomporowski, Catherine L. Davis, Patricia H. & Jack A. Naglieri
(2008).

From kindergarten to twelfth grade, one may be required to take many different types of physical education and health classes. In the first few years they more than likely would have learned some of the basic movements: hop, skip, jump, and gallop. As the years pass, they would go on to learn how to play different sports and proceed to specialize in different aspects of sports. Today the United States is facing an epidemic in which parents could outlive their children due to unhealthy bodies. The physical well being of the younger generation is a hot topic in many different school districts, as many children are not active enough. However physical education was not always promoted to children throughout history. One of the first

First of all, students do not have much knowledge about the different fitness components; they do not understand the relation between the fitness components and health. If students acquire the background knowledge about fitness, it could improve the class engagement and motivation, and increase the independent drive to exercise. Second barrier to students’ achievement is the lack of motivation to be active, and even more difficult, to specific fitness activities, such as sit-ups and push-ups. In today’s society, students spend more time sitting in front a screen and less time moving. Parent and school today have more responsibility making sure the children get enough physical activity. According to the New York Times (2016), “early school physical education (PE) programs can make a significant difference, and the earlier these routines are learned the more likely they will be carried forth into a healthy adulthood”. Another barrier that prevents students’ success is the loss of instructional time due to discipline problems. The classes are too big, with many diverse students with individual problems, which are difficult to address when these issues are from very different backgrounds. Finally, there is not enough support from home affecting not only physical education, but

Physical activity has not only physical benefits. It also has a very big impact on social-emotional and cognitive aspects of child’s live. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “The development of a physically active lifestyle is a goal for all children. Traditional team and competitive sports may promote healthy activity for selected youth. Individual sports, noncompetitive sports, lifetime sports, and recreational activities expand the opportunity for activity to everyone. The opportunity to be active on a regular basis, as well as the enjoyment and competence gained from activity, may increase the chances that a physically active lifestyle will be adopted.”

Physical activity also has benefits for children's social and emotional development and cognitive development. These benefits include being part of a team and making friends through group sports, which have a major impact on social and emotional development. The effect of obesity on children is closely linked to many bad health habits such as diet, smoking and drug use which in turn can affect a child's academic performance (Goran et al., 1999). Physical activity, if encouraged at a young age, can reduce the likelihood of children developing these behaviours and focus on their academic performance and cognitive development. As children in this age range are in their fundamental development stage, it is important that educators and parents alike, teach children about the importance of physical activity at a young age in order to prevent health and social well-being problems in their adult years.

Physical education is good for students physically, mentally and socially. Taking proper care of their body can and will result in an unhealthy life and life style that could follow them for the rest of their lives. Schools all across the nation are full of obesity children. One of the problems is obesity, which is a growing epidemic in the United States, and it is said that seventy eight percent of Americans are not reaching basic activity level approvals. By motivating children to take a physical education class, we are forcing children to learn healthy life skills, which is something beneficial to everyone. Students should understand that not taking proper care of their body can bring health problems and by installing that in the school, system at a young age can prevent that. When kids back home, you don’t know their type of activities that they do like playing video games or just on social media. Physical education should be mandatory throughout 2- 12 grades so they could get use to it by the time they get out in the real world. Not only the physical aspect but also the health part in eating right and maintaining the body system. Besides ensuring healthy and fit society, Physical Education also allows students to develop their interactive skills, social skills, team dynamics and psychomotor skills. For example, when children play sports and games during Physical Education, students are encouraged to develop the spirit of

Over the last 30-40 years, the amount and intensity of exercise has gradually declined. Few children in the United States have actually met the recommended “sixty minutes of vigorous exercise” per day (Institute of Medicine, 2013). Although most states and districts have policies pertaining to physical education, these programs lack reinforcement and are often considered weak. Physical education has slowly declined throughout the years, and the the purpose of encouraging students to make physical activity part of their daily lifestyle has been lost. Recent research from Cornell University has found that the average high school gym class consists of students being active for an average of only sixteen minutes! This is nowhere near the recommended sixty minutes of physical exercise. Physical education has been pushed to the side while academics have been prioritised. P.E. classes have become overlooked by society as a whole. Students simply see it as a courses used only for socializing, or to avoid academic courses such as Algebra, Biology, and History. While teachers no longer encourage students to be active, this should not be the path in which we take physical education. The importance of exercise and physical activity goes beyond the classroom with is proven benefits in memory, cognition and attention which are skills that can be used for daily life activities. In recent times, many programs are popping up across the country to emphasize the importance of being active!

According to the Australian Government Department of Health it is essential for your health and wellbeing to be physically active and limit sedentary behaviour in children, adolescence and adults. Those whom decrease sedentary behaviour through physical activity are more likely to improve their health and live an active lifestyle (Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour, 2014). As a nation, we all live and breathe sport whether that be Australian Football League (AFL), Soccer, National Rugby League (NRL), Cricket, Netball and so forth. Each individual has participated in physical education or taken part in a sport or physical activity. People see sport and physical activity pronominally as sport and physical activity although there is more to it. There are three main learning approaches that are somewhat similar but are often confused when teaching a sporting session. It is important to have a better understanding of these learning methods which are technical, tactical and organisational but are most commonly known as Traditional, Game Sense and Sport Education.

In 2005 a program known as Active After-school Communities (AASC) was commenced and funded by the government with $90 million, to involve primary school aged children (ages 5-12) in physical activity and healthy development. AASC would run in local primary schools across Australia after school for 60 minutes, the national recommended time of physical activity for children aged 5-12. Physical activity can play a major role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and can reduce the chances of developing obesity and heart disease. The program provided children with free access to physical activity and provided them with opportunities to help develop fundamental skills of movement, motor skills and to learn to work in a team, all in a fun and safe environment. When I was in primary school and was involved with Active After-school Communities, it had proven to be an effective strategy in encouraging younger kids to be active but also socially interacting and creating flourishing relationships with their peers within the community. The program was greatly supported by the welcoming staff, and was happily received by satisfied parents and energetic kids who were eager to participate in the activities regardless of each individual’s abilities. AASC

promote physical activity, there is still a very clear problem. Children are being given all these opportunities yet still failing to be active. This is due to technology. “On average, Canadian children spend about six hours every weekday and seven hours daily on weekends watching TV, chatting online or engaging in virtual games” (Pichard, 2012). For children, this is far too much time in front of a screen. If we eliminated screen time, and personal devices, 73% of children would be less sedentary (Participaction, 2016). The fact that PE is not an everyday class is also a problem, the more. Physical Education should not be looked at as just a “free” class. Yes, it can be fun but it was also important to get a child moving throughout the day. Gym not only benefits a child’s health, but also the social aspect (Mooney, 2014). PE class is one of the only times children can laugh, talk and play without breaking a school

Due to a variety of factors – from increased time in school to long hours of watching TV – many young people spend little time exercising. In addition, as budget cuts force schools to drop programs, PE is all too often the first to go. Although the recommended amount of exercise for children is reasonably small – under 30 minutes a day – most schools provide virtually no opportunity for physical activity. Providing even a short “exercise break” could help kids get in shape; according to Science Daily, “Research results show that 30 minutes of exercise hard enough to produce a sweat is enough to turn the tide on an unhealthy body mass index” (University of Copenhagen). Raising the physical education requirements in America schools gives kids an opportunity to exercise without having to set aside extra time in their day. Just as academic subjects like math, science, and reading are core components of education, so also can physical fitness be taught through PE programs. Raising healthy kids is certainly a primary goal of the school system, and requiring even a scant 30 minutes a day of physical activity in schools could be the key to cracking the problem of childhood

Many children develop attitudes towards physical activity during sporting experiences such as carnivals, competitions and physical education classes during their schooling life. Therefore, it is recognised that schools can play a powerful and influential role in shaping the attitudes and beliefs held by children towards sport and physical activity (Oxford University Press, 2015).

Implementing physical education as early as elementary should give children time to get used to P.E. and hopefully help them have a great mindset for working out and staying fit. “School setting offers opportunities to enjoy physical activity outside of class, including recess periods for unstructured play in elementary schools, after-school programs, intramural sports programs, and physical activity clubs.” (Wechsler 6) This quote states that offering multiple recreational physical activities while disguising it as something fun, gives children an intriguing sense on P.E. “Well-implemented school programs can effectively promote physical activity.” (Wechsler 3) This quote states that physical education programs in schools are for students to stay healthy and to get them active. It is the educator's responsibility to keep every student on track with their participation. If students do not participate it is certain they will lose their grade in that

“Physical education hopes to accomplish, to engage all students, not just the athlete elite, in fun activities that will instill a lifelong commitment to fitness.” (Johnson, 264). Physical education in the classroom can be a vital steeping stone to the way that teenagers think about fitness. Lifelong fitness is something that everyone should be guaranteed, it mainly depends on the experience that a teenager has. Like many other subjects in school, the

In the modern schools, too many elementary schools are so centered academics and don’t focus on the well-being of the students. The school systems also don’t realize that physical activity can help students perform better in the classrooms. In the recent years, there has been a worldwide tendency to reduce school-based physical education in favor of academic subjects. Given the beneficial effects of exercise and the disadvantages of a sedentary lifestyle, cutbacks in physical education lessons are not near as productive as people think. Systematic reviews provide clear