A Philosophy on Fitness
Webster’s Dictionary defines physical as “concerned or preoccupied with the body and its’ needs” and defines activity as “the state or quality of producing or involving movement.” I agree with Mr. Webster’s definitions. I see physical activity as doing some kind of movement in order to assist in improving or maintaining a body’s level of health. By maintaining or improving that level of health, physical activity also plays a big role in a person’s “quality of life”. How happy or complete a person feels many times depends upon, how their body looks, how they are feeling inside, or how fit they feel. This is where I see the physical educator stepping into the picture. As a physical education teacher, you need to be able to instill the meaning and importance of being physically active. In her book, Lumpkin defines physical education as “a process through which an individual obtains optimal physical, mental, and social skills and fitness through physical activity”. Not only do teachers need to impress upon the students the effects activity can have on their lives physically, but also mentally, and socially.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been physically active in some way, shape, or form. When I was five I was enrolled in dance classes, both ballet, tap and eventually jazz/modern dance. It grew to be something I loved to do. I was also beginning to develop a love for softball, which I played competitively until I graduated from high school. At the age of ten, I became captivated with basketball. I played on the school teams until the ninth grade, but I still enjoy playing for fun. Field hockey became the greatest sport known to me when I reached ninth grade, and I still think ...
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...emphasize being respectful to not only fellow students, but also their teachers.
In being a realist-idealist, I will focus on developing the whole individual. As a health teacher, I think it will be important that students know different diseases and health issues, but they also need to know why it could be harmful to them. As a Christian, Paul teaches us that our bodies are like a temple, “... your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, ... you are not your own” (The Inspirational Study Bible. 1 Corn. 6.19). I hope that I can portray this belief to my students in the ways that I teach.
Bibliography:
References
International Study Bible. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1995.
Lumpkin, A. (1998). Physical Education and Sport (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Co.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (1997). Springfield: Merriam-Webster Inc.
From the time that I could walk I had sports on my mind, walking around with a little baseball and bat or even a football. But as I grew up I found out there are even better sports than just your basic everyday high school events. The first one I seen was snocross, racing snowmobiles at high speeds with only one thing on your mind and that is to win. Soon after though came the introduction to the X-Games and it became my childhood dream to perform there with everyone screaming my name.
The textbook states that, “physical education teaches students to add physical activity to their daily lives and exposes them to content and learning experiences that develop the skills and desire to be active for life”
Neither my parents nor I had that desire for myself; therefore not one sport was more central than the other. Academic success stood as the most valuable compared to athletic success. That environment placed less pressure for me to train with greater intensity and focus when it came to competitive sports. Sports were extra-curricular activities as opposed to a full-time job and the pathway to the subsequent level. I absolutely benefitted from playing multiple sports throughout my youth. I have participated in soccer, basketball, football, track & field, wrestling, and even taekwondo. Competing in all these sports developed me into a better athlete and enhanced my fundamental movement skills that are necessary for all sports. In addition, it gave me multiple perspectives that I might not have had otherwise. This improved my ability to be a teammate and instilled in me a more competitive nature. Although different sports brought different demands, the growth of confidence remained the same. I never suffered from burnout during my youth, nor did I detest my experience. Ultimately, participating in multiple sports gave me time to decide where my passion lied and what I preferred to play. As a result, my participation in high school sports was limited to only football and
In Barbara Ehrenreich’s narrative “The Naked Truth about Fitness,” she exposes society’s perception of health as a moral standard. Society craves “moral purity” and expresses this craving by an elitist perception. Society believes those who do not make ‘right’ health choices have a higher chance of illness because of their moral negligence. However, defining health as a moral standard, results in a self-centered culture.
I have a very active lifestyle resulting in a wide variety of interests outside of the classroom. I have always had a deep life-long passion for sports. I represented my high schools varsity volleyball and basketball teams as well as partaking in an adult slow-pitch softball league throughout high school and into college. Other sports and activities I enjoy include Tae-kwon-do, soccer, fast-pitch softball, tennis, callisthenic and weighted workouts, running, hiking and biking.
I’ve always been the type of person that truly enjoys athletics and have participated in nearly all sports offered to me. I started playing sports in elementary with club softball and basketball. As I entered my middle and high school years I was able to add the school sanctioned sports to my list of activities. This afforded me the opportunity of competing in volleyball, basketball, golf, track and softball. The camaraderie and life lessons of sports seemed invaluable to me.
I have throughout my whole life been playing sports. I still play basketball competitively and now it’s at the university level. Basketball though was not my first love when it came to playing sports. It has though become my true focus since junior high school. Coming from Canada everybody plays hockey. Its almost as if as soon as you learn to walk you learn how to skate. Whether it is at the recreation centre or at the shinny rink around the corner everyone plays. Eventually I abandoned hockey to play basketball which I have done so for the last twelve years of my life and hopefully a few more years into the future.
The goal of this paper is to inform others of my reasoning why physical educators are important and why it is my dream to become one. There are three main points I would like to discuss: the value of physical education ,being a role model ,and why it is my dream to become one.
Physical activity enhances children’s quantitative development within middle childhood, supporting growth toward healthy strong people, physically and psychology. Middle childhood is documented as being between the ages of six to ten years old. A lack of physical activity affects children across all areas of development; it is not restricted within the domain of physical development. Discussed within are the expectations of motor development within middle childhood, the benefits of physical activity and the consequences of prolonged inactivity. Along with how a student’s physical development facilitates or restricts development in other areas and how the learning environment can accommodate and support the physical needs of students.
Physical fitness is usually applied to the framework most typically associated with two classifications: Basic fitness (a condition associated with health as well as well-being) and specialized fitness (the capability to carry out specific sports activities or work-related skills). Physical fitness is actually a condition associated with health with lower risk of early illnesses and the vitality to participate in a wide range of physical pursuits.
Over the past decades our culture has changes dramatically. To which our nation was once a physically active nation. Yet now it seems that society discourages physical activity. The human race has been dependent on automobiles, discouraging people to walk or bike, increasing the chance of a poor life-style. Yet there are many factors that affect the achievement and maintenance of a healthy life. Young people are growing into a diverse society, which is characterized by rapid change, inactive work and leisure practices that influence unhealthy behaviors. By incorporating physical activity into peoples daily routine will increase their chances of being healthier, reducing certain diseases and learning how to avoid injuries. Physical education helps students improve their knowledge about health issues and practices that will lead to a more enjoyable life. Students playing and working in a team together develop social skills, teamwork, achieving goals, and development of self-esteem. Overall physical education provides the potential for a better life style.
Physical education is an important area in schools today. If taught correctly, it can develop physical and mental skills as well as develop a sense of self. By participating in physical activity, a student’s skill will naturally increase to the demands placed upon it. If a student never tries then their skill will never grow. The mental skills one develops in a physical education class are proble...
Physical education provides: 1) a variation of motor skills aimed to enhance the physical, mental, social and emotional development, 2) an understanding to improve and maintain their physical well-being and 3) opportunities to develop social and cooperative skills while gaining a multi-cultural perspective. Physical education provides a variety of motor skills aimed at enhancing the physical, mental, social and emotional development. The obesity statistics of 2009 quantified that childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980 and in addition to concerns regarding chronic diseases, overweight and obesity incidences have even led to poorer levels of academic achievement (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). Additionally, in order to teach students the importance of preventing these ailments, those who oppose the amount of time spent in physical education or want to cut it out altogether should reconsider. Instead, time in physical education should be as equal as core subjects are seen.
“Physical education plays a critical role in educating the whole student. Research supports the importance of movement in educating both mind and body. Physical education contributes directly to development of physical competence and fitness. It also helps students to make informed choices and understand the value of leading a physically active lifestyle. The benefits of physical education can affect both academic learning and physical activity patterns of students. The healthy, physically active student is more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful. … Throughout the school years, quality physical education can promote social, cooperative and problem solving competencies. Quality physical education programs in our
Physical education takes place in the school curriculum which is timetabled and taught to all school pupils. This involves a range of different skills, learning basic movements