Glad to see someone else also recognizes that the sport-centric approach is a barrier preventing those who are less confident in competitive sporting environments from engaging in physical activity. Ultimately, it is these kids that we must cater our approaches to as it can be assumed that those who are not as athletically and competitively inclined are at a greater risk of discontinuing physical activity altogether. Providing an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive is integral in ensuring that those at risk continue to stay active without the pressure that comes with competitive sports. I also liked how you highlighted the connection that physical activity has on the mental health and well-being of individuals. I read an article published by the National Library of Medicine that echoed this very point. It found that over 3 years, kids who engaged in physically active lessons increased their academic performance by 6 percent, whereas those who learned in a more conventional and sedentary classroom environment saw their performance decrease by 1 percent. This is just one of many articles that continue to present evidence supporting the connection between physical activity and academic performance and completely agree that we must work to help educators become more knowledgable about the need for physical education. Have you considered ways in which we could do this?
Blog Post #1
Featured Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
About Me – A Catalyst to my Educational Journey
My name is Brianne McLeish, a second-year student pursuing a physical and health education degree to become an elementary school teacher in the future. When I reflect on the experiences influencing my educational journey, my involvement in coaching UVIC track and field camps comes to mind. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with a variety of youth-aged kids and have gotten to see firsthand just how much of an impact I can have on determining the relationship and attitude kids develop towards the topics of physical activity and health. I will never forget an interaction I had with a parent of one of the kids in my camp at the end of the week. She voiced how her daughter was originally reluctant to take part in the camp due to her inexperience in engaging in physical activity and sports. However, because of my efforts to help her feel successful in the activities she was partaking in, she grew to enjoy being active and trying new skills and was disappointed to be leaving camp at the end of the week. I will never forget how rewarding this was to hear, and this certainly acted as a catalyst in influencing the educational path I find myself following today.
Active Health Education
Physical and health educators hold a unique role and responsibility to help empower and inspire students to take control of their health and well-being. Engaging in active health education encourages young people to view health as a more holistic concept recognizing that physical fitness is only one component that comprises health. To do this educators must understand the various key aspects included in models such as the 24-hour movement guidelines. With a deep understanding of the common movement behaviors that occur throughout the day, educators become well-equipped to tailor their approaches toward facilitating an environment that aligns with the guidelines presented. For example, at my elementary school daily physical activity (DPA) was a measure put in place on the days when we did not have physical education classes. By doing this, my teachers were ensuring that were still meeting the daily recommendations for light activity and limiting sedentary behavior. However, without educators being aware of evidence-based guidelines such as the model outlined above, and the importance of implementing these types of measures would certainly be overlooked. By following, promoting, and prioritizing the suggestions concerning sleep, sedentary behavior, physical activity, and light activity, educators can help guide individuals toward leading healthier and happier lives.
Sidelining Sedentary Behaviour
The International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity estimated that globally, children spend an average of 8 hours a day being sedentary making up half of their time awake (Kuzik et al., 2022). There is a growing body of evidence that continues to emerge that links sedentary behavior to various chronic health conditions. Fortunately, organizations such as Physical and Health Education Canada provide educators with recommendations to limit this behavior to promote a more active lifestyle and mitigate the risks associated with inactivity.
Article by Physical Health Education Canada on Sedentary Behaviour
Article By the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity
The Sport-Centric Approach
I believe the sport-centric approach is the biggest barrier preventing youth from engaging in physical activity. Focusing on competitive sports and instilling a performance-based mindset excludes those who may not be as athletic or feel as confident in their abilities. By focusing on competitive sports this approach tends to make non-athletes more likely to avoid engaging in physical activity and develop a negative attitude toward physical education. As a result, many of these kids turn to more sedentary activities such as video games and social media to fill their time, further perpetuating the cycle of inactivity. Instead of promoting an environment that encourages everyone to engage in physical activity and sport simply for personal growth and enjoyment, having a goal-oriented approach often overshadows these aspects. As future health education leaders, we must work to address this issue by providing a more inclusive environment to all students regardless of their athletic abilities and skill levels. Strategies to achieve this could include:
- Offering Choice-based Physical Activity: Research shows that allowing students to choose the activities they participate in will help to improve their overall engagement and motivation to partake in physical activity. (Effect of offering choice during physical activity)
- Focusing on Fun and Enjoyment, Rather than Specific Goals and Objectives: Incorporate creative and fun movements within the class environment to get kids active without feeling pressure to perform and achieve a particular goal. Kids will feel more inclined to participate when exercise is fun and less of an obligation.
- Encouraging Health and Fitness as being a Lifelong Journey: Highlight the countless benefits that prioritizing one’s health and fitness has especially at an early age, in promoting one’s longevity and overall quality of life. Additionally, educators should expose students to a wide range of physical activities such as hiking and swimming that can be enjoyed even as they age. Doing this ensures that students continue to stay physically active and have the knowledge to make healthy choices throughout their lives.
References
Kuzik, N., Costa, B. G. G. da, Hwang, Y., Verswijveren, S. J. J. M., Rollo, S., Tremblay, M. S., Bélanger, S., Carson, V., Davis, M., Hornby, S., Huang, W. Y., Law, B., Salmon, J., Tomasone, J. R., Wachira, L.-J., Wijndaele, K., & Saunders, T. J. (2022, April 5). School-related sedentary behaviours and indicators of health and well-being among children and youth: A systematic review – international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity. BioMed Central. https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-022-01258-4
About Me
Hi Everyone! My name is Brianne McLeish, a second-year Physical and Health Education student at UVIC. I am born and raised in beautiful Victoria BC and enjoy playing soccer, running, traveling, going to the gym, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. My favourite place to be is at my cabin up island on Sproat Lake, soaking up the sun, roasting smores, playing family game nights, and doing watersports (or having massive wipeouts on the tube!)
This site was created to share my blog posts for EPHE 246, and I hope in reading my material, I can provide some insight into concepts that relate to active health at an educational level as I aspire to be a facilitator of health and wellness in my role as a future elementary school teacher!