Fitness & Sport

The busier our lives get, the more dependent we become on things that make our lives easier. Unfortunately, time-savers, such as cars, computers and television sets can also encourage us to be less active in addition to disconnecting us from interacting with the ‘natural environment.’

Unlike most attributes, defining physical fitness is not a subjective matter; in fact determining what it means to be physically fit can be a matter of life and death. Some of the physiological characteristics most often characterized as a measure of physical fitness are: Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, body composition, flexibility, and mental clarity. These components of physical fitness are primarily influenced by regular physical and mental exercise. Besides the ‘outer’ benefits of physical fitness, regular exercise has been linked to improvements in self-esteem, reduced anxiety and depression, in addition to better endurance, and lowering the risk of heart disease (www.who.int).

It is a great thing to be a fitness “nut” but not so great to be a nutty person obsessed about being fit. Being physically fit is a way of life that is part of an overall healthy lifestyle. However social pressures to be thin or very full figured has distorted the importance of being physically fit. As a result many developed nations and even some developing countries have seen physical and mental disorders such as anorexia and obesity climb to an all time high within their populations.

We all know that when we think of sports the first thing that pops into our mind is the environment…umm well maybe not all of us think that way but some of us definitely should. Cross-culturally participation in sports has had both a positive and negative impact on the environment and our ability to sustain it.

According to the environmental protection division of the United Nations (www.unep.org/sport_env/) threats like soil and water pollution as a result of pesticide use on sport fields along with spectator traffic can lead to long-term environmental damage. While at the same time environmental instability poses a real threat to the future of most outdoor sports as a consequence of threats such as air pollution, which has been linked to a rise in the number of diagnosed respiratory illnesses

When it comes to engaging the world’s youth through sport the non-profit organization (NGO) Right to Play takes top honours. With projects across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, Right to Play promotes healthy lifestyles, life skills, and even peace using the universal message of sport. The programs hosted by this NGO that garner the most attention for this super energized NGO have been the following: Basic education and child development; health promotion and disease prevention; conflict resolution and peace education; and community development and participation. Street youth, former child soldiers, refugees, and children living with HIV/AIDS have benefited from these programs and by inspiring international sport ambassadors made up of Olympians and famous athletes.

Remember to PLAY to LIVE and LOVE the SPORT!

References
MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
News at the University of Toronto
http://www.news.utoronto.ca
Right to Play
http://www.righttoplay.com
Sport and the Environment
http://www.unep.org/sport_env/
World Health Organization
www.who.int

Glossary
Body composition = refers to the relative amount of muscle, fat, bone, and other vital parts of the body

Cardiorespiratory endurance = is the ability of the body's circulatory and respiratory systems to supply fuel during sustained physical activity

Flexibility = is the range of motion around a joint

Mental Clarity = the method by which the human mind handles stress and life in general, which is influenced by the overall effectiveness of the method.

Muscular endurance = is the ability of the muscle to continue to perform without fatigue

Muscular strength = is the ability of the muscle to exert force during an activity