The Importance of Physical Education in Childhood

Physical education is a general education course of study from kindergarten through grade 12 in which students participate in physical activities. The purpose of physical education is to introduce children to the basic elements of exercise and to help them develop a healthy lifestyle. Children can exercise their bodies and improve their mental sports ability by playing basketball, football and other traditional sports, and taking part in weight-lifting, calisthenics and other physical exercise activities. Physical education is the teaching and guidance of physical activities in a school gymnasium or other school environment. The goal is to improve and maintain the current health status of children and put them on the path of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for life.

According to Harry Crowe Buck, “Physical education is a part of general education programme, which is considered with growth, development and education of children through the medium of big muscle activities. It is the education of whole child by means of physical activities. Physical activities are the tools. They are so selected and conducted as to influence every child’s life physically, mentally, emotionally and morally”.

There are two major of physical fitness that must co-exists in physical education, which are health-related and skill-related.

For health related, there are 5 components of fitness. First, cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the heart and lungs to work together to provide the oxygen and fuel the body needs during a continuous working load. For example, jogging, cycling and swimming. Second, muscular strength is the power that a muscle can produce. For example, climbing stairs, bench press and crab walks. Third, muscular endurance is the ability of muscles to work continuously without fatigue. For example, cycling, step machines and plank hold. Fourth, flexibility is the ability of each joint to move within the range of motion of a particular joint. For example, yoga, gymnastics and dance or martial arts. Fifth, body composition refers to the ratio of fat to muscles, bones, and organs.

For skill related, there are 6 components of fitness. First, agility refers to a person's ability to move his or her body quickly and easily. Such as a boxer dodging a punch, or a basketball player changing direction in a split second. Second, balance refers to a person's ability to maintain balance while moving or standing still. For example, kneeling or walk on balancing beam. Third, coordination refers to the ability of a person to use your senses and different parts of your body to perform motor tasks accurately and smoothly. For example, catching a ball in a lacrosse scoop while running. Fourth, power refers to a person's ability to quickly convert energy into power. For example, baseball or volleyball. Fifth, speed is the ability to move quickly from one point to another. For example, sprinting or swimming. Lastly, reaction time is a skill-related component of physical health that relates to the time between one of your sensory recognition stimuli and your body's response. For example, martial arts or racquet sports.

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In today's society, many kindergartens and day care centers more emphasis on intellectual activities than physical activities, resulting in a decrease in children's physical and physical activities. Physical education can teach children to improve their quality of life. Focusing only on their studies will make their lives boring and stagnant, which in turn will lead to depression and failure. Physical activity and exercise can enhance their endurance, which can make them fall in love with their intelligence and ability. By participating in sports, children can develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. The following are some important of teaching physical education in preschools.

Physical education is important for healthy growth and development. Nowadays, many children eat unhealthy food. These may include soft drinks, burgers, French fries, and pizza. Taking these regularly can lead to childhood obesity. Physical education in schools can help prevent obesity and high blood pressure. Physical exercise and activity will help them burn off excess calories. If these calories are not burned off, they are stored as fat. Through physical exercise, people can make use of extra calories to gain energy. In addition, physical education can also enhance bone movement, such as jumping, which is especially important for school children because the strength generated by these activities contributes to bone strength and growth. While muscle-strengthening exercises can make muscles bigger and stronger, they can also help children carry loads and protect their joints from injury. Physical activities make students energetic and strong, and stimulate their interest in classroom activities. It helps with muscle movement. Physical education improves an individual's ability to concentrate and maintain attention. Physical activity helps enlarge the basal ganglia of the brain. The basal ganglia are a part of the brain responsible for maintaining a person's ability to pay attention. In this day and age, when children have so many forms of technological entertainment (TV, phones, tablets), it's hard to stay focused. By promoting physical education, school teachers can help them improve their concentration. Schools often arrange sports games and exercises, which require concentration.

Physical education helps individuals to be flexible and happy, and helps relieve stress and anxiety. School life is busy and stressful for everyone. The pressure may come from poor grades that prevent children from concentrating on their studies. Taking part in sports activities and education can help children relieve their academic pressure and anxiety. Many schools now make physical education an important part of the school curriculum and encourage children to maintain a healthy balance between education and exercise. That's because school sports help improve connections between neurons in the brain. Healthy and well-connected neurons help improve a children's overall thinking ability. Scientific research reveals the fact that children who participate in physical activities are happier and healthier than those who spend all their time in school. Physical education helps to promote the circulation of blood in the body. Provides more oxygen to the heart and brain, and keeps the body in balance with physical and mental health.

There are many benefits of physical education for young children. First, children need strong bones. Children need exercise to avoid losing bone density due to lack of exercise. Childhood is the best time for bone development. Weak bones can lead to osteoporosis. Second, physical education can reduce a child's risk of being overweight or obese. When a child does not exercise, unused calories are stored as fat. Physical activity will burn off these calories, so the fat will be reduced, so that the fat distribution in the children's body is reasonable. Third, a healthier heart. Lack of exercise can put pressure on the heart, putting children at greater risk of cardiovascular disease in the future. Physical activity allowed their hearts to pump blood more efficiently. Fourth, children have stronger muscles. Jumping rope, martial arts and yoga all require muscle work, which means kids are building up their muscles. Increasing muscle strength can also prevent injuries. Fifth, children have stronger lungs. Exercise means that children breathe in more oxygen, emit more carbon dioxide and have more lung capacity. The increased oxygen also helps their heart and brain.

In conclusion, physical education plays an important role in childhood. However, the intellectual education in kindergartens also plays an important role in this competitive society. But excessive intellectual activity training may lead to children's disinterest in sports activities and may also lead to the formation of unhealthy living habits. Kindergartens and child care should not only focus on performing intellectual education, but also physical activities.