(Article by Mr. Rajesh Kumar Singh – Educationist and Founder and MD of Kunwar’s Global School)
Physical Education offers a number of benefits for the students. Physical Education classes aware the students towards the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. The enhancement of children’s physical growth and development is undoubtedly the most important contribution of physical education. The knowledge gained through physical education can help the students to make right decisions related to their health, wellbeing and safety.
Following are some benefits that physical education offers proving that it is very important for a healthy future:
- It helps in maintaining physical fitness: Physical fitness is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. This is the reason why Physical Education is taught in all the leading educational institutions in the world. Including regular fitness activities in the lifestyle makes it possible for the students to maintain their health. Physical activities, when performed daily, can help in improving the absorption of important nutrients in the body. It also helps in improving overall health and develop strength.
The heart plays a crucial role of pumping blood to the entire body. When people remain inactive the whole day, they can be at an increased risk of various cardiovascular problems. Unlike elders, children can’t join a gym to perform the adequate amount of workout. All they need is active participation in sports and ample playtime.
- Reduces the levels of stress: Many school curriculums emphasise more on core subjects. Students are often pressurized to score good in such subjects. Teachers usually give the students a lot of homework even after spending hours in the classroom. This way, they are left with no or very little time to play or attend sport sessions as they are busy doing their homework. This may create a situation of stress among the children as they have to spend a lot of time in studying. Playtime is one of the best ways of reducing the levels of stress. Therefore, physical activity should be included in everyone’s daily routine in order to get rid of stress and anxiety. Physical activity also enhances emotional resilience and stability.
- Helps students focus: If one doesn’t take time off from his or her work, he or she will realize that it can be hard for them to focus. Same can also happen with children. If they want to focus better on their studies, they should take adequate time to relax during the day. This is the reason why physical education is important. When students engage in Physical Education, they are able to focus more on everything, including their studies. Studies have shown more positive attitude, better test scores as well as improved classroom manners and focus and attention spans in children who actively participate in sports from early childhood years.
- Learn the importance of working out: Usually, students learn several things by observing others. They often need someone who can be their role model and help them to learn the importance of sports and physical education in their life. Physical Education is a great way of teaching the children the importance of exercising on a daily basis. If the parents are experiencing trouble in encouraging their kids to take up sports, they should try to set an example for them by performing some workouts at home, or becoming more physically active by engaging in sports themselves. Also, they can try increasing their kids’ interest in sports by exploring and playing some of them together, like basketball, tennis or cricket.
- Health and nutrition: Health and nutrition are one of the most important elements of Physical Education. A key benefit of Physical Education is that it helps the students in understanding the importance of health, fitness and nutrition in our life. This education is particularly necessary in high schools as this is where eating disorders and obesity like conditions prevails. With proper education about physical activities and its importance, students learn the importance of eating good and the important nutrition guidelines.
- Instil positive behaviours: The skills learned and applied during physical activities and playing sports can effectively contribute to the overall growth and development of a child. There are many important interpersonal values and characteristics that are acquired through playing and participating in sports like teamwork, honesty, valuing hard work, as well as respect for other players and rules. Such development of a child can be impacted by the quality physical education.
Therefore, Physical Education can help in improving the value system of the students and instil positive behaviour in them. This also make them learn the importance of utilising their time well.
Hence, physical education plays an important role in the growth and development of a child’s life. There are a number of reasons why physical education should be incorporated in the curriculum of educational institutions. The educators should make sure that the students make the right choice while choosing the physical activities for themselves as such an education is important for a healthy future.