Physical education and Well-being

How can Physical education be used to promote well-being in primary education?

Rachael Dunn, 16^th April 2018

It is obvious that physical activity is very important for everyone, it keeps people of all ages fit and healthy and can help to promote positive outlook on the importance of good health, physical activity is especially important for developing children of all ages, physical activity through physical education can improve many things such as fitness, strength, confidence and promote a healthy outlook on life. There is much documentation stating that physical education contributes to holistic development including personal and social development(McGuiness & Shelley, 1996),Physical education doesn’t just provide benefits for fitness, it also allows room for working in teams so improving social skills, how to accept success and deal with failure, learning how to be fair to others and acceptance of others abilities with respectfulness(Irish National Teacher’s Organisation, 2007).

Mental health problems in the classroom appear to be increasing, according to a report by the children’s commissioner for England (2017)580,000 young people across the United Kingdom are receiving support for some form of Mental health issue, these issues can be anxiety that can cause disruptive behaviour and absence from school (Cope, 2017).Emotional wellbeing for a child is extremely important and has an impact on physical health as well as mental health(National institute for health and care excellence, 2008), exercise tackles many important issues such as obesity, but it also has positive effects on academic achievement and emotional wellbeing and mental health, the benefits are so well recognised that there have been suggestions to make physical education as a main priority alongside maths, English and science(Marsh, 2015).

Many students in schools have benefited a boost of self -esteem and confidence due to physical education, this confidence and self -esteem helps them to improve in other areas of their lives such as behaviour and academic success, Physical activity can help improve motivation and can capture the attention of students (Montague, 2012).

As these problems persist through education, provisions and plans need to be put into practice to help tackle these issues, helping children deal with their emotions and understand wellbeing, as a clear and happy mind will surely improve attitudes and behaviour of students in school. I have always been told how exercise as an adult can reduce stress and release endorphins, suggestions from peers and colleagues that running can help clear your mind etc, if this is true for an adult I believe the same principal for young people would also achieve improved mental health and wellbeing. Working within primary schools I was able to recognise the benefits physical activity provided for the children, when the children took part in physical education they displayed signs of joy, as it was a way for them to use energy run around and feel free, expressing themselves individually but also pushing themselves to take part in activities that they hadn’t before, this helped children develop new skills and thus developing more confidence when exploring new areas. The children seemed to have fun, physical education usually provided a different environment to the normal way of learning in the classroom which pleased the children, making their day more enjoyable.

 As I recently experienced during a mindfulness programme including children from a local primary school attending Cardiff Metropolitan university, children excel when they are in different environments and outdoor areas, as physical education is not usually carried out in the normal environment of classroom. Physical education regularly takes place outside where imagination is heightened as witnessed in the Mindfulness programme, Physical education is also on times carried out by a different teacher than the usual teacher a student has, again the mindfulness programme highlighted that different teachers and educational professionals can mean different relationships with teachers and students and different behaviours.

If a child is inactive this can have a negative effect on their mental health, a child in primary school is continuously developing emotionally and physically, engaging in physical activities aids these developments, physical education contributes to good mental health and can promote a good night’s sleep, it also boosts energy levels that will improve upon engaging in hobbies and interactions that will also improve social skills(Datko, 2015).

A study of 258 eight-year olds in Finland, found that more physical activity in children was linked to less stress, children who were involved with lots of physical activity had lower stress levels when compared to children who did not take part in psychical activity (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and metabolism, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utuPQRXf-Sw

This video on the importance of physical education in school highlights the issues students can face if they are not physical active such as obesity, social exclusion etc, these issues can lead to mental health issues such as low self-esteem, lack of confidence that can lead to depression and anxiety and can further a negative opinion on participating in sports. The video also explains the benefits of physical activity in school such as boosting confidence, providing room for making new friends and challenging themselves to achieve more and tackle obstacles, this can lead to confidence improve social development and emotional stability which all contributes to a happy healthy life. The importance of promoting and facilitating physical activity in schools in huge, it provides massive benefits for children of all ages especially those in primary education, as promoting the message of a healthy lifestyle from a young age provides a great foundation for a healthy outlook throughout life.

References

S. Marsh, (2015), How can PE and sport improve student health and wellbeing? – live chat. Available online at: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/feb/06/pe-and-sport-student-health-wellbeing, accessed 1^st March 2018.

A. Montague, (2012), Using physical education and sport to raise school standards. Available online at : http://www.betterevidence.org/uk-edition/issue-10/using-physical-education-and-sport-to-raise-school-standards/ , accessed 29^th February 2018.

A. Datko, (2015), What Are the Benefits of Physical Education in School? Available at: https://www.livestrong.com/article/529108-what-are-the-benefits-of-physical-education-in-school/ , accessed 1^st April 2018.

McGuiness & Shelley, (1996), Physical Education in the Primary School. Available online at: https://www.into.ie/ROI/Publications/PhysEdinthePrimarySchool.pdf , accessed 13^th march 2018.

Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education, (2008). Available online at: https://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/PH12 , accessed 13^th March 2018.