Education
Physical Education and its Benefits
Physical Education (PE) is something that most children currently being schooled in the United Kingdom will undertake at some time. PE is designed to help our children gain much needed exercise whilst making the process fun at the same time.
There are many different types of Physical Education that can be undertaken and the following is a brief list:
Athletics
Football
Gymnastics
The regular practice of appropriate physical activity in communities can bring significant economic benefits in terms of reduced health care costs, increased productivity, healthier physical and social environments, better performing schools and work sites, stronger participation in sports and recreations, and greater sports achievements. Current evidence indicates that there is a growing cost of medical care due to physical inactivity, which can range from 2.4% (Netherlands), 6% (Canada) and 9.4% (USA) of total health sector cost. Investment in primary/preventative health care will ensure that individuals will remain out of hospital beds, thus resolving the shortage problem.
While physical fitness is still considered an important goal for physical education, the general consensus is that it is more important to focus on promoting the process {behavior} of physical activity than the product {outcome} of fitness. A primary reason is that physical activity has the potential to track into adulthood. Fitness, on the other hand, is transient and will be maintained only of the child remains physically active. Thus, the key role of physical education is to promote lifetime physical activity. At the elementary level we are trying to start them on the path to an active lifestyle, but it must continue through adulthood.
