Importance of Physical Education

Physical wellness is an important part of life and physical education plays a vital role in the students’ overall development and growth. Medical studies suggest that physical well being of a student is directly related to his or her performance in studies and life ahead. Physical Education plays a very important role in the overall development and education of the student. Like other academic courses of study, physical education is also based upon rigorous national standards that define what students should know and be able to do as a result of participation in the physical education program. It has been observed that physical education in India is often a neglected part of education and most of the schools across the country do not realize the importance of having physical education subject as a part of their curriculum. There are many benefits that are available from teaching physical education at school and higher level, but there are very few schools in our country that have managed to strike the balance between academics and physical fitness as well.

Physical education is an important part of overall child development and really unique to the school curriculum as it is the only program that provides students with opportunities to learn some special skills, develop physical fitness, and gain understanding about the importance of physical activity. Apart from physical benefits, physical fitness also helps in the mental development of the students and provide in some quality time for recreational activities and students tend to get freshen up. Quality physical education programs are aimed at increasing the physical competence, general fitness, health benefits, self-responsibility, and enjoyment of physical activity for all students so that they can be physically active for a lifetime. Only if these activities are well planned and executed by properly trained instructors, these will benefit students in a positive way.

Physical Education as Subject

Physical education trends have developed recently to incorporate a greater variety of activities besides typical sports. Apart from sports and physical activities, health study has also been introduced as a part of the subject. Introducing students to activities like bowling, walking/hiking, or Frisbee at an early age can help students develop good activity habits that will carry over into adulthood. Some teachers have even begun to incorporate stress-reduction techniques such as yoga, the deep-breathing activity that has benefited many students across the globe. Studying physical education as a subject provides psychological benefits such as improving general mental health, concentration, awareness and positive mood and can be taught to any age student with little or no equipment and hence making it ideal for mixed ability and age classes.

Physical education as a subject aims at improving physical as well as mental health of the student and providing them with the knowledge and motivation to lead a healthy life ahead. Teaching non-traditional sports to students may also provide the necessary motivation for students to increase their activity, and can help students learn about different cultures. Teaching non-traditional (or non-native) sports provides a great opportunity to integrate academic concepts from other subjects as well. The four aspects of P.E. are:

1. Physical
2. Mental
3. Social
4. Emotional

Hence physical education is a subject that revolves around these four factors to make the life of a student happy and healthy and provide in some worthy experience to attain physical as well as mental fitness.

Need for Physical Education

Although physical education is not an integral part of the total education of every school still it is very important for every student. Students studying physical education will be provided with an individualized, developmental, and personally challenging instructional program in physical health that will advance their knowledge, hygiene, self-confidence, skills, and active lifestyle. The major problem concerned with school going children is obesity. A lot of school going students these days prefer to eat a lot of junk food, which is leading to the obesity among the school going children. The benefits gained from physical activity include can be preventing obesity and diseases disease, decreased morbidity and premature mortality, and increased physical as well as mental health.

Continuously studying can also be harmful to the students and they do need in time for some recreational activities. Physical education can serve this purpose very accurately. The benefits of physical education also affect academic learning skills of an individual. Regular aerobic exercise can help you a lot in studying effectively as it produces an increased number of capillaries servicing the brain which allows for a greater exchange of nutrients and waste products, hence leading to the effective functioning of the brain. Aerobic activities generally tend to optimize oxygen and glucose delivery to the brain which in turn helps to improve the performance of the brain. The ultimate goal of physical education is to effectively increase participation in health-enhancing physical activities.

High-quality health and physical education are inter-related to each other. Physical education is one of the best strategies to achieve high-quality health. A good living and healthy lifestyle not only increase the chances that young people will live healthier, more productive lifespan, but it also pays off in the classroom, as well. Only a healthy mind can process in some useful learning. Without physical as well as mental health you cannot score well, no matter how hard you try. Hence physical education proves it’s important for the school going children as well.

Importance of Physical Education in Schools

Importance of physical education can be realized by the number of benefits associated with the physical education programs that not only helps in to maintain a healthy lifestyle but also in keeping your brain healthy. Quality health and physical education programs can prove to be a life-changing aspect for today’s young people as well as for others in general. Physical education programs have a lot to offer for the students, these programs give students an opportunity to develop their bodies as well as minds to gain skills that will guide them towards the success in both the physical as well as academic aspects of education and life ahead. Properly planned physical education programs guided by trained supervisors provide the structure and discipline that young people need to perform in their day to day school life, gives a better understanding to make positive choices in their lives, maintain proper physique and stamina, and earn the respect among their peers. It is a fact that our society seems to be struggling with these things and physical education provides an effective way of dealing with these problems. Some of the other benefits of having the physical education are:

• Encourages Physical Growth: Physical education plays an important role in the proper physical growth of an individual. The value of physical fitness can never be overstated. Students learn some valuable techniques for taking care of themselves through proper grooming, healthy eating and regular exercise that is taught to them in a physical education class. Schools that provide physical education from an early age have understood the importance of all-round growth and the role of physical education in providing overall growth. Physical education provides in a good deal of physical activities and exercise that helps to keep the body fit and fight obesity which is a major problem among school going children and hence can be partly solved by stressing on physical education. Obesity can further lead to some major problems such as diabetes, heart problems and imbalances in hormones among the children. Encouraging physical education in schools will help to contain the problem of obesity to an extent. Children who are enrolled in some form of sport or the other reap the benefits in the long run. Also, physical education teaches some useful tips towards a healthy lifestyle.
• Relieves Stress: Physical education may play an effective role in helping students to relieve stress level. Continuous studies can be really tedious and at times tend to become really stressful. Hence there is a need for some recreational activities to balance the mental level and provide in some stress-busting option. In such a case, physical education plays a worthy role. Children have to cope with different types of pressure in a classroom and also among their peers. Engaging in some form of physical activity can be a really good way to relieve some of this stress. After a stressful day at school, playing some form of sport is a good way to release some steam.  Also practising yoga or aerobics can help a lot in distressing.
• Develops Sportsmanship: Physical education promotes in sportsmanship among the talented individuals. Children show signs of interest in sports from an early age and if they are encouraged and given proper guidance in schools can give in some good results in the field of games and sports. In our country, there are several children who do not get proper facilities for playing sports, despite showing signs of early excellence in the varied fields. With proper support and systems in place and professional guidance, children will be able to bring out the best in themselves and they may even develop potential to go on and represent their country at some international event and make country proud. Thus, encouraging physical education is really important and schools must realize the potential benefits that can be achieved from just a few hours of activity every day.
• Health Benefits: Physical education as the name specifies is also related to the physical health of a person. Many doctors agree that obesity is a serious health risk and can be controlled to a great extent by doing some physical exercise or sports. Physical education provides an effective solution towards a healthy lifestyle without any form of diet management. A large number of students are moving towards processed food intake every day which is a clear indication that student’s health can easily be at risk for many diseases like chronic heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Physical education in school is a preventive measure to teach students the value of regular exercise and healthy eating habits. Physical education is not only about sports and physical exercise but in a broader sense also tech in some effective healthy habits to keep us away from various health problems and diseases.
• Builds Self-Confidence: Confidence is the key to success and plays an important role in determining the success of a person academically and in general life as well. Excellence in some form of sport or physical activity can prove to be a great boost to the confidence among children. Sports can prove to be a great opportunity for introvert children to express themselves and this is one of the main aspects of physical education. Excelling in a particular field of sports can be a great boost to the confidence and also provides in with a lot of respect and admiration from other people. Children taking part in inter-schools games and sporting events, meet new individuals of their own age and interacting with new people builds in a sense of confidence and companionship. Children taking part in team sports will be able to visualize themselves as being a part of a group and this will be beneficial when they are a part of work groups in the future. Hence also leads to building team-spirit among students.

Conclusion
It is very clear that the amount of benefits involved with the physical education is vast. There is no doubt that physical education provides in with a great opportunity for the student to attain physical and mental balance in their life, which would help them in their academic and overall growth as well. Physical education is not just the group of physical exercises or games, but in a broader sense also includes the study of various topics that involve in some good health tips and techniques that would make our life better. Hence it is really important for us to realize the benefits of physical education and to practice those in our lives too.