Health and Physical Activity: the Advantages of Exercise from Children to Elders - Essay Example

Health and Physical Activity Table of Content 0 Introduction 02 2.0 Executive Summary 02 3.0 Health 03 4.0 Facts and Analysis (Multi-Agency Approach) 04 5.0 Physical Activity 06 6.0 The Effects of Obesity on Childhood and Pre School 07 7.0 Exercise 09 8.0 Conclusion 09 9.0 Appendix 10 1.0 Introduction 'At Least Five a Week', a report on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health, is a 128 page encyclopedia on the benefits of physical activity on human beings. The report elucidates the advantages of exercise from children to elders. The human body is an intrinsic mechanism that runs well if looked after else can break down and become a liability. A healthy body is reflective of a healthy mind and soul. There is a wide spectrum of health problems covered in this report including a look at physical activity and its relevance to cardiovascular diseases, overweight and obesity, diabetes, musculoskeletal health, mental illness, and cancer among others. Sum of the recommendations include: 1. For the young, medium to moderate intensity physical activity of 60 minutes is recommended that covers the bone and muscles. 2. Adults need half the physical activity spanning a minimum of 5 days a week. 3. Physical activity could include structured exercise or sports. Physical activities benefit and are particularly important to older adults because they are more prone to osteoporosis, circulatory diseases and depression. 2.0 Executive Summary This paper critically analyses and at the same time evaluates what physical education can do to help the health and well-being of children and adults. Today, man is well served by machines to handle almost all their physical activities at home and at work. Gone are the days when people could take time off to exercise or play in their spare time. Life has become so competitive that students and adults alike find little or no time to care for their health. Less healthy children will end up being lesser healthy adults. Physical inactivity leads to illness and diseases that could truncate physical and mental development in later life. This paper strives to investigate what needs to be done to eradicate or control the after-effects of inactivity in early years. In order to do this, the focus of this investigation will be on: 1. What and how does physical education contribute in terms of meeting PA targets 2. What evidence supports or refutes the impact that PE has on children or lifelong participation 3. Is PE the right answer and if so, will more PE hours solve this problem 4. Is NCPE in a good position to help promote lifelong participation 3.0 Health What is health Health is inter-related to the mental, emotional and physical components of a living being. By definition, health is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (WHO 1994) (Definition of health on the web, www.swc-cfc.gc.ca). 4.0 Facts and Analysis (Multi-Agency Approach) There is a need to critically evaluate current health promotion interventions within a range of relevant and contemporary theories of behaviour change. Lured by drugs, computers and television, children find no time to engage in outdoor activities. With schools understandably playing a docile role in rehabilitating these youngsters, there was the need for external intervention. Multi-agencies have initiated measures to save the exchequer millions of pounds in medical bills. Their plan is to support the application of theoretical knowledge to the planning, delivery and evaluation of interventions to promote physical activity (PGCertPhysical Activity and Health, Theories and Strategies for Health Behaviour Change, Middlesex University > PGCert Physical Activity and Health, www.mdx.ac.uk). Positive Futures, Bradford in association with Airedale Primary Care Trust, Men's Health Team, Arts, Heritage and Leisure Department, Bradford City Council, Joint Activities Service, Local schools, Social services, Youth Service, Community Safety, West Yorkshire Police, Youth Offending Team, and the Drug Awareness Advisory Team (DAAT) conducted a physical activity and sports programme to engage children and adolescents 10-19 years. The project overseen by the Home Office Drug Strategy Unit consists of an advisory group represented by Sport England, the Youth Justice Board, the Department of Health, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, Connexions (Department of Education and Skills) and the Football Foundation. Each child is asked to play in 3-4 different games, before deciding what they would like to do on a more regular basis. The programme begun in 2002 has funds to keep the project alive till 2006. The funding was received from Home Office Drug Strategy Unit and DAAT. The programme evaluated every 6 months, seeks to identify partners, methods to deal with substance misuse, and any problems which occurred. The results till the end of August 2003 were very encouraging. 25/26 showed a high level of engagement in the programme. 23/46 showed improvement in their level of engagement, the students showed improved social relation with their families, some achieved recognition in certain sports and leisure activities, a definite increase in programme and school attendance, and most attending children increased their overall physical activity level. However, not all is easy. Difficulties remain in engaging the high-risk children or determining the most at risk. (Introduction to the 'Case Study Zone', Case Studies, Positive Futures, Bradford, BHF National Centre, physical activity + health, Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Network, Physical Activity Assessment, www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk). Another agency initiative is the Street Dance Initiative at North West Leicestershire. To encourage young women to participate in physical activities, opportunities are presented to these youngsters to attend free dance classes at school which in turn is linked to regular dance classes at local leisure clubs. The response has been tremendous and efforts are underway to expand these classes to other surrounding boroughs. An event 'What women want' was organised to attract more women and girls to participate in more activities. This programme was organised in partnership with Sports/arts section at North West Leicestershire District Council, leisure centres, dance instructors, Primary Care Trust (PCT), and the local primary and secondary schools. The project has been funded by Charnwood and North West Leicestershire PCT. Mainstream funding has also been secured by North West Leicestershire District Council. The results are on expected lines. With expansion, 160 girls have enrolled for these sessions. 22 classes have completed and over 200 children benefited. The Post event evaluation of 'What Women Want' showed that 94% women enjoyed the day, 85% said they had tried an activity they did not usually take part in, and 88% said they had been encouraged to participate in more physical activity in the future. Though the programme has become a success, the difficulties encountered to allure these children to leisure centres and maintain regular attendance took a lot of overseeing (Introduction to the 'Case Study Zone', Case Studies, Street Dance Initiative-North West Leicestershire, BHF National Centre, physical activity + health, Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Network, Physical Activity Assessment, www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk). 5.0 Physical Activity Physical activity is any force exerted by skeletal muscles that results in the burning of energy. All household work, swimming, all physically competitive sports, and walking can be classified as physical activity. Physical activity is an important part of one's weight management program. Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake. Sustained physical activity helps control weight in a human being. Such activities like gardening, swimming, running, walking and playing helps to burn excess fat and lower the level of cholesterol, and to raise lower levels of HDL-cholesterol in overweight and obese persons. This has a direct impact on cardio-respiratory fitness (Aim for a Healthy Weight, Information for Patients and Public, Key Recommendations, Department of Health and Human Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Guide to Physical Activity, www.nhlbi.nih.gov). Physical education in schools is restricted to those with interest. Games and exercise should be made an integral part of school curriculum. Students don't find time to enjoy sports. Television and computer games have kept students indoor. Nottingham YMCA Sport in the Community, Leicestershire, aimed to set this right. The objective of this programme was to encourage children to be more active and remain healthy. The agency in partnership with schools had Cardio-Kids Club, Saturday Soccer Club, In School Coaching Programmes, After School Coaching Programmes and Holiday Activity Courses. It advertised and promoted activities through active schools coaching, assemblies and promotional literature. These activities took place in schools, community centres and leisure centres. Sponsors included, Nottingham LEA, City and County Council, YMCA England, Sportsmatch, Nottingham F.A., Healthy Living Centre, Northern Foods, Social Services, Children's Trust, Reebok UK and others. The result is most encouraging. 8372 children took part in various activities in 2003, of which, 8.6% were physically disabled, and 23.4% were from the ethnic minorities. The registration for this programme is ever increasing and this has led to more and more schools and organizations enrolling in the programme. Parents too have found favour with this programme as it keeps their children busy and occupied. Further details on the programme can be had from the Michael Leake, Nottingham YMCA Sport in the Community, Nottingham (Introduction to the 'Case Study Zone', Case Studies, Street Dance Initiative-North West Leicestershire, BHF National Centre, physical activity + health, Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Network, Physical Activity Assessment, www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk). 6.0 The Effect of Obesity on Childhood and Pre Schools Childhood obesity has become a major issue of worry for the health industry. The trend has seen a two-fold increase in the number of obesity related cases. Diet and physical exercise are common causes for obesity in children. These obese children, on becoming adults, have increased risk of ill health. Obesity causes ill health in childhood and long-term health problems for adults who were obese as children. As children, they suffer from psychological problems, and are known to be prone to a number of heart diseases. Type II diabetes is increasingly being seen in children with obesity and this condition needs specialist attention. In conclusion, childhood obesity has a high cost in health and economic terms, eating more calorie dense foods and less fruits and vegetables (Secondary care and pharmacotherapy in childhood, Issues and action in childhood obesity, University of Bristol, Media Release, 17 September, 2002, www.bris.ac.uk). Psychological morbidity is the most common side-effect in children. Obesity has been proven to lead to an increase of cardiovascular risk factors, such as hyperlipidaemia, high blood pressure, abnormalities in left ventricular mass, hyperinsulinaemia, and prevalence of Type II Diabetes. There have even been cases wherein there has been detection of asthma. This tendency to continue to adulthood has made medical experts recognise the fallout of cardiovascular risks, its effects on socio-economic growth and long-term morbidity and mortality (Consequences of obesity in childhood, Obesity in Childhood: Much More Than a Cosmetic Problem, Behind: The Medical Headlines, www.behindthemedicalheadlines.com). Schools are perhaps the most appropriate places for the promotion of health-related learning and behaviours for its sustained exposure to influence the behaviour of children for about 40-45 minutes of their waking time (Fox and Harris, 2003). School-based programmes have a direct and positive influence on a child's health, fitness and physical activity level, as it is directed at every child individually. Such activities develop their knowledge, understanding and attitudes towards physical activity (Almond and Harris, 1998; Cale and Harris, 1998; Harris and Cale, 1997; Stone et al., 1998) (Jo Harris, Health-related Exercise and Physical Education, Chapter 5, Sage Publications, Page 78). Physical education is a means to good health. Children are proactive and with a little direction can be made to undergo movements that burn fatty tissues and improve blood circulation. Running, jumping, skipping and walking are some common activities at school. 7.0 Exercise Exercise is also physical activity, but with a difference. Exercise is a planned or structured routine that is performed to perfection. It involves repetitive body movements to improve or maintain physical fitness. The actions are carried out to improve the various parts of the human body, namely, the cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition (Physical Activity for Everyone: Physical Activity Terms, CDC, www.cdc.gov). The World Health Organisation (WHO) observed that the inability to partake in physical activities was one of the major reasons for CHD, colon cancer, diabetes, stroke, and breast cancer (Physical Activity, Securing Good Health for the Whole Population, Case Studies, HM Treasury, Page 97-98, www.hm-treasury.gov.uk). 8.0 Conclusion. Sports are being encouraged in schools in a big way. More and more people are becoming health conscious, thanks to the active participation of the Government and Public companies. The level of physical education has also become more professional with the participation of multi-agencies. This can be seen by the change in attitude of children to more sports. Schools have also initiated actions to ensure that children have a fair share of play time and infrastructure. In order to attract more children and adolescents to the playing arena, specialist sports schools have mushroomed in the boroughs to attract more representation. Children who earlier were prone to other activities have turned a new leaf and have become more health conscious. This change in the attitude of children can help the government millions of dollars in medical bills and develop a healthy community. Heart disease alone costs the UK close to 8 billion per annum, costs of obesity and overweight is in the region of 7 billion per year (Labour: Take responsibility for your own health - PM, noticias.info, press release, Spain, noticias.info/ Speech by Prime Minister Tony Blair at Boots HQ, Nottingham, 26 July, 2006). 9.0 Appendix 1. Definition of health on the web, www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/pubs/pubspr/0662334035/200303_0662334035_3_e.html 2. Aim for a Healthy Weight, Information for Patients and Public, Key Recommendations, Department of Health and Human Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Guide to Physical Activity, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/phy_act.htm 3. Physical Activity for Everyone: Physical Activity Terms, CDC, www.cdc.gov/node.do/id/0900f3ec8005978c 4. Trends in physical activity in children, The importance of physical activity for public life, At least five a week, Page 16 5. Labour: Take responsibility for your own health - PM, noticias.info, press release, Spain, noticias.info/ Speech by Prime Minister Tony Blair at Boots HQ, Nottingham, 26 July, 2006 6. The value of Sport, SportEngland, uk sport, www.uksport.gov.uk/generic_template.aspid=12306 7. PGCertPhysical Activity and Health, Theories and Strategies for Health Behaviour Change, Middlesex University > PGCert Physical Activity and Health, www.mdx.ac.uk/subjects/ses/pgcpah.htm 8. Introduction to the 'Case Study Zone', Case Studies, Positive Futures, Bradford, BHF National Centre, physical activity + health, Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Network, Physical Activity Assessment, www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/guides/physical_activity.html 9. Introduction to the 'Case Study Zone', Case Studies, Street Dance Initiative-North West Leicestershire, BHF National Centre, physical activity + health, Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Network, Physical Activity Assessment, www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk 10. Secondary care and pharmacotherapy in childhood, Issues and action in childhood obesity, University of Bristol, Media Release, 17 September, 2002, www.bris.ac.uk/news/2002/obesity.htm 11. Consequences of obesity in childhood, Obesity in Childhood: Much More Than A Cosmetic Problem, Behind: The Medical Headlines, www.behindthemedicalheadlines.com/articles/childhood_obesity.shtml 12. Jo Harris, Health-related Exercise and Physical Education, Chapter 5, Sage Publications, Page 78 13. Physical Activity, Securing Good Health for the Whole Population, Case Studies, HM Treasury, Page 97-98, www.hm-treasury.gov.uk Read More

 

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