PHYSICAL EDUCATION 

DEFINITION

Physical education is the process of education through physical activities. It is the development of the total personality of the child to its fullness and perfection in body, mind, and spirit. Physical Education is an education which brings improvement in human performance with the help of physical activities. Mental, intellectual, emotional and social development of a growing child is dependent and closely related to physical development. It simply means education through the use of physique and physical movements and deriving the advantage for social gain.

Charles A. Bucher has defined Physical Education as an “Integral part of total educational process, is a field of endeavour which has its aim — the development of physically, mentally, emotionally and socially fit citizens through the medium of physical activities which have been selected with a view to realize these outcomes.”

AIMS & OBJECTIVES 

In physical education, the final aim is to make every human being physically, mentally and emotionally fit and also to provide each kind of opportunity to them, so that they can develop such personal and social qualities which will help them to live happily with others and shape themselves as true citizens of the country.

The prime objectives are: 

• Optimum development of child’s physical growth 

• Intellectual development 

• Emotional development 

• Social development 

• Personal development 

• Character building 

• Physical fitness 

• Development as a disciplined citizen of the country 

• Neuromuscular development

• Developing leadership qualities 

• Healthy and safe environment 

• Development of national integration 

• Better international understanding

Dimensions

1. Motor Development: The objective of motor development refers to the neuromuscular relationship of nerve or nerve fibre to the one that connects the central nervous system with muscles. This in turn enables the movement of the body. To enhance the ability of the body to act, react and interact, it is necessary to exercise the muscles and nerves.

2. Mental development refers to the ability to think and solve problems effectively. Knowledge received by participating in physical activities about body movement, health, fitness, sanitation, nutrition, disease prevention and others may contribute to an individual’s mental development. A mentally developed person takes wise decisions at the right time and in a right spirit. 

3. Emotional development refers to a psychological situation of body and mind. Emotion is a drive to do something. Emotion covers experiences, such as fear, anger, joy, love, sorrow, etc.  A child needs to develop confidence, a feeling of belongingness, and eliminate negative feelings through participating in games, sports, yoga, etc.

 

4. Social development refers to the feeling of belongingness, adjustment of group living, social poise, social relationships, and social adjustment. Physical activities provide opportunities to the children to fulfil basic needs like, recognition, self-respect, belongingness, and love. 

5. Moral development Participation in games helps in moral development                    and equips them to differentiate between right and wrong with honesty. Hence, physical education also plays an important role in the moral development of a person.

PHYSICAL FITNESS

Physical fitness is the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities. Optimum efficiency is the key to physical fitness. Physical fitness is considered as a measure of the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively during work and leisure activities. In order to remain physically fit and healthy, we need to engage ourselves in physical activities and take measures to being physically fit.  

Importance of Physical fitness 

• improves the functioning of the heart and lungs by increasing the availability of oxygen to all tissues and organs in the body system

• improves muscle tone

• promotes the development of good posture, proportionate figure, and thereby positive body image and physical appearance

• ensures quick recovery after injury and illness; 

• decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease; (like Heart attack, Asthma etc.) 

• reduces and controls undesirable body fat. When the individual does exercise, takes proper diet that also fulfills the nutritional requirement, it helps maintain ideal body weight

• increases energy level of a person

• improves the mood by reducing depression and anxiety

• postpones fatigue and reduces recovery time after vigorous activity and

• helps people to meet challenges of life, makes them self-confident and delays the ageing process. Being physically fit is important for all the age groups. To live better life to the fullest and enjoy all the opportunities, one try to be physically fit.

Components of Health-Related Fitness 

1. Cardio-respiratory Endurance: 

Cardio-respiratory endurance reflects the ability of the body’s circulatory and respiratory systems to supply fuel during sustained physical activity. To improve your cardio-respiratory endurance, try activities that keep your heart rate elevated at a safe level for a sustained length of time such as walking, running, jogging, swimming, bicycling etc. Muscular Strength is the amount of force applied on muscle or muscle groups, is able to exert for one maximal effort (contraction). The key for making your muscles stronger is working them against resistance, whether that be from weights or gravity. If you want to gain muscle strength, try exercises such as lifting weights (under proper supervision). Muscular Endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert force against a submaximal load for a given length of time (or number of repetition) before fatiguing to the point of failure. Body Composition refers to the proportion of team body mass to body fat, it includes the amount of muscle, fat, bone, and other vital parts of the body. 

  

2. Skill-related Fitness :

Agility is the ability to change and control the direction and position of the body while maintaining a constant, rapid motion. For example changing directions to hit a tennis ball. Balance is the ability to control or stabilize the body when a person is standing still or moving. For example, handstand in gymnastics. Coordination is the ability to use the senses together with body parts during movement. For example, dribbling a basketball. Using hands and eyes together is called hand-eye coordination.

Speed is the ability to move your body or parts of your body swiftly. Many sports rely on speed to gain advantage over opponents. For example, a Basketball player making a fast break to perform a lay-up, a tennis player moving forward to get to a drop shot, a football player running the defense to receive a pass. Power is the ability to move the body parts swiftly while applying the maximum force of the muscles. Power is a combination of both speed and muscular strength. For example, volleyball players lifting up to the net and lifting their bodies high into the air. Reaction Time is the ability to reach or respond quickly to what you hear, see or feel. For example, an athlete quickly coming off the blocks early in a swimming or track event, or stealing a base in baseball.

 Types of exercises

1. AEROBIC & ANEROBIC

1. Aerobic Activity /Aerobic Exercise: 

any physical activity that requires increased oxygen is an Aerobic exercise. Aerobic activity or exercise is, therefore, the same as cardiovascular exercise as it • increases cardiac capacity • strengthens the heart and lungs Aerobic fitness is the capacity of an individual to sustain exercise for a prolonged period of time, for example jogging for more than 15 minutes, cycling and calisthenics etc.

2. Anaerobic Exercise Activity:

 The term Anaerobic means “without oxygen”. Anaerobic exercise is a high-intensity activity for a short period of time. It relies on energy sources that are stored in the muscles of individuals.

Anaerobic exercise develops stronger muscles. With vigorous workouts, there is a temporary shortage of oxygen being delivered to the working muscles, for example sprinting or bodybuilding. However, the early stage of all exercise is anaerobic. The different types of anaerobic activities are weight lifting, sprint races, jumping, mountain climbing, rafting etc.

2. Isotonic- Isometric- Isokinetic

1.  Isotonic Exercise: 

The word isotonic is from Greek and roughly translates to equal or same tone. The muscle maintains equal tone while shortening during isotonic exercise. That means your muscles maintain the same tension throughout the exercise. Examples of isotonic exercise include squats, stair climbing, bicep curls and push-ups. It supports quality of life by building a range of motion muscles that help with activities of daily living; Little or no special equipment is required; Strengthens muscles; Improves bone density and reduces risk of osteoporosis; Boosts cardiovascular health. 

2.  Isometric exercises: 

are contractions of a particular muscle or group of muscles. These are all exercises that involve holding a position rather than moving as is the case with isotonic exercise. Unlike with isotonic exercises, isometric exercises do not move muscles through a range. Instead, the muscles are stable, done in one position so that there is tension but no change in length. Isometric exercise is also known as static strength training. Examples include the plank and Side Bridge as well as the wall sit and many yoga poses such as chair and tree poses. These exercises require little time – you can benefit in as little as 10 to 30 seconds performed regularly. It has a rehabilitative effect on muscles; Improves joint flexibility and may help lower blood pressure.

3. Isokinetic training: 

Is a type of exercise training that uses a special machine. The exercise machine creates different levels of resistance. Isokinetic exercise is a type of strength training. It uses specialized exercise machines that produce a constant speed no matter how much effort you expend. These machines control the pace of an exercise by fluctuating resistance throughout our range of motion. The speed remains consistent despite how much force we exert. Isokinetic exercises are often used for rehabilitation and recovery since it’s a controlled form of exercise. Physical therapists and occupational therapists use isokinetic machines to help people recover from a stroke, an injury, or a medical procedure. Isokinetic machines can also be used to treat imbalances in the body that have the potential to cause injury.

Conclusion

Health and Physical Education must continue to be a compulsory subject from the primary, to the secondary stages, and as an optional subject at the higher secondary stage. However, it needs to be given equal status with other subjects, a status that is not being given at present. In order to transact the curriculum effectively, it is essential to ensure that the minimum essential physical space and equipment are available in every school, and that doctors and medical personnel visit school regularly.