Physical Education 1

A. What is Physical Education?

Most of you if not all, have taken Physical Education in the elementary grades and high school perhaps you never required yourself what P.E. is all about. You have been even in the lower grades, yet no one has bothered to explain to you what physical education is all about. Our discussion in this course will confine to the why physical education and hopefully we shall be more knowledgeable about the subject and perhaps be in to understand why it occupies an important place in your studies.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION IS DEFINED AS:

A. Movement Education

B. Physical Education is the process by which changes in the individual are brought about through his movement experiences. Defined by Voltmeter or Esslinger.

C. Physical Education is an integral part of total education process which aims for the physical, mental, social, emotional, moral and spiritual development of the individual through wholesome activities selected as to kind and conducted as to outcome.

Historical literature through the ages is replete with accounts of the importance of physical training. The Greeks slogan “Men sana en corpora sano”, has become more than a mere phrase. The slogan means “A sound mind and a sound body”. Physical Education provides for the participation of the individuals in varied physical activities, and thus assisted in the developing and maintaining physical fitness.

MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

1. Physical Development Objective

This objective is often known as physical fitness, physical conditioning or organic development. It involves such characteristics as muscular power, agility, speed, balance, coordination and reaction time.

This has been basic Physical Education for thousands of years, and has its beginning even in the primitive times. Here they know that physical conditioning is capable of increasing the physical fitness of the individual. Military leaders were conversant with the role of physical activity in improving the effectiveness of their military personnel. Philosophers have also seen the importance in life. In fact some have given their opinions.

A. Plato – was among the first to recommend the careful planning of the physical education of the youth. He said “Send then to the master of physical training, so that the bodied may better minister to the virtuous mind, and they may not be compelled through bodily weakness to play as coward in war, or in any other occasions.”

B. Socrates – according to him, “No citizen has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What disagree for it for a man to grow old, without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is has capable.”

C. Aristotle – he said “The body is the temple of the soul.” And to reach harmony of body and mind and spirit, the body must be physically fit.

2. Social Development Objectives

Participation in Physical Education activities provides opportunities for the development of desirable social traits needed for adjustment to the social life in general. Some of the traits are friendliness, cooperation, respect for the rights of others, good sportsmanship, good leadership and followership and honesty in group competition.

3. Emotional Development Objective

The objective of Physical Education activities which offers opportunities for self expression and emotional mastery, some of emotional traits are self confidence, self control, self reliance, courage and determination.

4. Mental Development Objectives

Through participation in Physical Education activities the individual develops his mental capacities as he knew the mechanical principles underlying movement. This is through the requirement of the knowledge and understanding of rules and strategies of games and sports, and as he discovers ways of improving his movements in gymnastics and dances.

B. WHAT IS PHYSICAL FITNESS?

In general, physical fitness is the ability to continue effort and perform well over a period of time. It is the ability to perform one’s daily tasks efficiently without undue fatigue and with extra reserve in case if emergency. This requires:

1. Freedom from disease or good health.

2. Sufficient strength, stamina and skill.

3. Mental and emotional adjustment appropriate to the age of the individual.

Technically, physical fitness involves measures and levels of muscular strength and endurance, muscle tone, heart action and response to activity, agility and balance. But fitness is also a personal thing. It is how we feel when we get-up in the morning; how tired or fresh we are after a hard days of work; how anxious we look forward to doing things we like to do. Each person is his own best judge of what fitness is, and what fitness means to him.

1. Importance of Fitness to You

You probably spend sometimes meditating what you will be when you finish college, engineers, doctors, teachers, businessman, farmers or technicians. The possibilities are endless. But no matter what career you choose, you will also want to be a person who:

A. Presents an attractive appearance.

B. Radiates confidence.

C. Is skillful, alert and energetic.

D. Has many friends and interest.

2. Objectives of Fitness

1. Physical Development

The development of strength, endurance, flexibility, agility, coordination, relaxation and kinesthetic awareness to a very high level so as to meet demands made upon the individual daily.

2. Psychological

The development of positive morale to tackle difficult tasks.

3. Educational

Understanding of what fitness is, why is it necessary, how it is acquired, when and where it is to be done by whom.

4. Social

Development of skill, poise and good posture which give an opportunity to become socially acceptable.

5. Economics

To feel and look well so that one maybe able to work to the fullest of one’s capacity.

3. Factors that influence Physical Fitness

1. Heredity

The transmission of character traits from parents to offspring, some inherited characteristics that may influence one’s physical fitness are:

1. Optimum-size and body built.

2. Variation of senses

3. Development of muscular system

4. Type and durability of blood vessels

5. Digestive and respiratory variations

6. Type and stability of nervous system

7. Ability to generate force to accomplish specific act

2. Mental, Emotional and Physical Health

No one denies that there is a relationship between intellectual, emotional and physical health. The concept of oneness of mind and body has been accepted.

The emotional health of an individual will be directly related to this effort to tolerance. When we are in good spirits and confident, we move easily with little fatigue, ourselves, we move listlessly with dropping posture and great effort. Emotion is an energizing force and can bring about strenuous movements.

3. Nutrition

Proper nutrition is essential for your fitness. A person cannot look well, feel well, be full of vitality or work efficiently with only his calories needs satisfied by his daily diet. A well balance diet is essential for your optimum health. Without it your fitness level will suffer and your capacity to meet the physical, mental or emotional demands of your life will lessen.

4. Adequate rest, sleep and relaxation

The human body is not a perpetual motion machine. It must take time to fuel up, to replenish it’s energy supplied at regular intervals, sleep should mean rest. It is not the quantity of hours of sleep that counts but the quality of the sleep, rest and relaxation it becomes fatigue and tired. The big medicine for fatigue is food, rest, sleep and relaxation.

5. Recreation

This is a fundamental human need, without a capacity and skill to recreate, your well being and your total fitness would suffer. Recreation is not just whiling away time pleasantly. It is simply leisure time activities. Recreation refers to all activities that are not connected with your job. Activities that you choose to do purely because you like them, have fun in doing them and act satisfaction and pleasure from there is recreational.

4. Parameters of Physical Fitness

1. Muscular Strength

The mixed amount of force that a muscle or group of muscle can exert. Strength is not necessarily synonymous with the size of the muscle although there is little question that people with large muscles are usually physically strong.

2. Muscular Endurance

The capacity to carry on muscular effort in a period of time.

3. Flexibility

The functional capacity of the joints to move and stretch through a normal range of motion.

4. Cardio-Respiratory Capacity

This parameter is commonly called circulatory or circulo-respiratory fitness or cardio-vascular endurance which allows the individual to persist in strenuous tasks for a period of some length.

THE MOTION PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS

1. Coordination

It is probably a common denominator of all motor performance parameter. It involves the nervous system and the skeletal muscular system, defined as “smooth flow of movement”.

2. Balance

Is the ability to maintain equilibrium in a variety of position, involves reflexes, vision, the inner ear, the cerebellum, and the skeletal muscular system.

Three Kinds of Balance:

a. Static balance – is the ability to maintain equilibrium in a fixed position.

b. Dynamic balance – maintaining balance while moving or engaging in action.

c. Rotational balance – ability to maintain or regain balance after turning, rolling, or other maneuvers while in contact with the floor or apparatus.

3. Agility

Is generally defined as the ability to change directions quickly and effectively while moving nearly possible at full speed.

4. Power

Is the process of using strength to apply force for effective movement, involves the speed of contraction.

5. Speed

Is the kind of measure by total body movement from one place to another.

6. Reaction Time

Is the length of time required to initiate a response to a specific stimulus.

POSTURE

Is the correct body alignment necessary for efficient execution of action or activity.

Kinds of Posture

a. Static – stationary as in standing, sitting, lying.

b. Dynamic – moving as in walking, playing, dancing.

Common Faults of Posture

a. “Poked head” or forward head – when head is out of line’ some parts of the body compensate and also move out of the line.

b. Ryphosis – humped or round shoulder.

c. Lordosis – exaggerated curvature of the lumbar region.

d. Scoliosis – uneven shoulder.

e. Ptosis – general sagging of the body.