Physical Activities And Healthy Lifestyle

“Gymnastics taught me everything- life lessons, responsibility and discipline and respect,” says Shawn Johnson, 2008 Beijing Olympics All Around Gold Medalist. A hotly debated issue is whether or not competitive sports are beneficial for children and teens. (This, though, will focus solely on gymnastics.) However, research shows gymnastics is a perfectly healthy sport which teaches life skills such as time management, sportsmanship, and healthy habits.

Competitive sports in some cases are becoming very unhealthy for children. Most children would rather play on a losing team than sit on the bench of a winning team. Youth sports are a great idea to get children up and active, as well as improve their social skills. Just like every other thing in life it is important to practice and work hard to achieve success. However it is unhealthy to push for results over the needs or wants of the child. Aside from the mental stress that young athletes may experience from intense training and physical play long lasting injures is now a growing concern. Fact is competitive sports is a double edge sword if done right it is the greatest thing world, but if done wrong it can be very unhealthy for a child.

1.1 Explain why physical activity is important to the short and long term health and well being of children

Gymnastics is a very difficult sport that takes a lot of commitment. Many children take on gymnastics at a young age and strive to become Olympic gymnasts by competing their whole lives, but not a lot of people are able to pursue that dream due to the challenges that come with being a gymnast. Coaches are currently conditioning and training their gymnasts at very demanding and advanced levels. Although the sport has several positive health benefits on the body, it also puts gymnasts at a very high risk of injury. It is not very common for these injuries to be severe, however, if they are not treated properly it is likely for them to lead to chronic pain and even bone fractures.

Physical activity has not only physical benefits. It also has a very big impact on social-emotional and cognitive aspects of child’s live. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “The development of a physically active lifestyle is a goal for all children. Traditional team and competitive sports may promote healthy activity for selected youth. Individual sports, noncompetitive sports, lifetime sports, and recreational activities expand the opportunity for activity to everyone. The opportunity to be active on a regular basis, as well as the enjoyment and competence gained from activity, may increase the chances that a physically active lifestyle will be adopted.”

I work as a gymnastics coach at Trousdell Gymnastics Center. It is a recreational center that provides programs for all Tallahassee residents, specializing in gymnastics and exercise. The goal of this organization is to provide a safe and affordable program that keeps the community fit and engaged. They offer recreational gymnastics classes for boys and girls of all ages. There are also preschool and kindergarten programs for the younger children. On the other end of the spectrum there are adult classes that teach gymnastics and overall fitness. In addition, the gym offers classes for children with special needs. Finally, Trousdell offers a competitive gymnastics program for exceptional boys and girls. Three Olympic gymnasts have come through this program. Trousdell Gymnastics Center is named after a former Tallahassee Parks and Recreation Director Randy Trousdell, a man passionate about his community and the health of its children. Since it’s opening over 60 years ago the gym has impacted 500,000 children’s lives. I coach recreational classes for girls ages seven to fifteen years old. I begin every class by leading an extensive stretch and then we go to the events of the day where I set up stations for gymnasts to practice different skills. I end every class with conditioning to help the gymnasts grow stronger so that they can perform skills successfully. Trousdell Gymnastics Center coaches have a responsibility to these children. It is our goal to make the two hours a

In the past 30 years, the direction of sports within the youth has drastically changed. In the past, young athletes aimed to play in several sports. Now, athletes focus themselves in one single sport and year-round extensive training has been encouraged by most adults in a young athlete’s life whether they are a parent or a coach. Allowing the youth to participate in sports is frequently considered “a great way to develop leadership skills” and “an appreciation for individual and team accomplishments” (Sailor). Along with the rise of Sport Specialization, concerns pertaining to a child’s physical and psychological health have begun to increase as well. Early Sport Specialization may lead to greater risks in a child’s life such as injuries,

* Body Paragraph 1: The benefits of having gymnastics in schools is that girls or boys can get involved in a sport they wanted to be in, but it was either far away or just to much money on the sport. The consequences of gymnastics in schools is that they can get diseases from this sport such as anorexia and bulimia (Teens Health...). The gymnast can get injured from the events the gymnast are participating in.

It is important for children to be involved in sport because active participation helps children develop skills. Research shows that there are many physical benefits to youth sport. Some of the developments that a child can make from participation in sport are agility, coordination, endurance, flexibility, speed, and strength (Taskforce, 2013). The research from “Maximizing the Benefits of Youth Sport” says that there are more specific developments that children develop from sport. The specific developments include: enhanced functioning and health of cardiorespiratory and muscular systems, improved flexibility, mobility, and coordination, increased

I grew up in a gymnastics facility, practicing up to 30 hours a week from ages 7 to 16. I worked hard, gave up social events, and did my best to balance school and sports, being a student-athlete and all… And I am not too proud of it, but I’d call myself more of an athlete-student.

In gymnastics they practice a good amount of time to maybe make it into the Olympics one day. Gymnastics can help you to learn to do flips, turns, and spins.Gymnastics can help you do better in school and make you more active.Gymnastics can help your brain concentrate on school.Flips can help you feel happy about yourself and a lot of people like to see your cool

While it is important to focus on the sport while they are in the gym, it’s also a great time for kids to socialize and learn important social skills that they will use later in their lives. Kids who start gymnastics at a young age learn to wait their turn, stand in line, and deal with grown-ups in a respectable manner. All of these skills are important for children as they make their way through elementary, jr. high, and eventually high school. Young athletes also learn to be coached, and coachable kids turn into responsible

Youth sports are an incredibly healthy way for kids to grow and release energy. Children in preschool can begin to take part in sports like dance and soccer, and as they grow older, the lists of sports gets longer. However, there are negatives of sports that are often not talked about by parents, coaches, schools, or the media. As a result, stigmatization occurs, leaving children struggling with sports to suffer alone. With youth sports, elevated levels of stress occur, and as a consequence, mental health can decline. Youth sports can have an adverse psychological effect on young athletes and it is an effect that can be damaging for children for their entire lives.

Physical Activity is undeniably good for everyone, not only does it keep you fit and healthy but when started at a young age, it can set up good habits for life. Sometimes however, people do not take care of their physical wellbeing, resulting in obesity and other eating disorders which can be detrimental to their health.

The philosopher Plato (427-347 BC) said: “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it” (Vina, Sanchis‐Gomar, Martinez‐Bello, & Gomez‐Cabrera, 2012, p. 2). Exercise has several benefits; it enhances the overall health of a person. It is important for strengthening the muscles, building bones, and maintaining a healthy weight. Besides, humans are not becoming any younger each day. Moreover, scientists and researchers discover new diseases, illnesses and disorders that could potentially be fatal for a human’s body, which can lead to death. Thus, the purpose of this essay is to analyze the effects of exercise and focus on three factors: pain, ability to learn, and chronic medical condition. People need to maintain a healthy body because as time goes by the body starts to deteriorate, and it loses its original form. However, age should not be a hindrance if a person wants to change his/her lifestyle to stay healthy. Evidence has shown that exercise is beneficial for improving pain, enhances the ability to learn, and has a long-term benefit in preventing chronic medical conditions. This paper will discuss the impact of exercise on improving pain, the effects of exercise in relation to the ability to learn, and exploring the interrelationship of exercise and chronic medical conditions.