The Importance

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The Importance of Healthy Active Living
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Benefits of Fitness
Heart healthRegular physical activity can lower
your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and
can reduce the risk of illnesses such as Type II
diabetes or heart disease.
Bone supportExercise is a good way to build
strong, healthy bones and can help slow the bone
loss associated with getting older.
Sense of well-beingBeing in good shape can give
you more energy, reduce anxiety and depression,
improve self-esteem, and help you better manage
stress.
Social lifeStaying active can be a great way to
have fun, make new friends, and spend quality
time with family.
Physical appearanceYou look better when you're
in shape. Staying active helps you tone muscles
and maintain a healthy weight - and can even
improve your posture.
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Studies show that Youth receiving additional
physical activity tend to show improved
attributes such as increased brain function and
nourishment, higher energy/concentration levels,
changes in body build affecting self esteem,
increased self-esteem and better behavior which
may all support cognitive learning. The
increased energy levels and time outside of the
classroom may give relief from boredom resulting
in higher attention levels during classroom
instruction (Linder 1999).
Physical Fitness and Academic Performance
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Why You Should Be Concerned.

• Children are 40 less active than they were 30
  years ago.
• The average Canadian child watches more than 26
  hours of television and spends up to 30 hours
  sitting in school each week.
• Only 766 out of more than 15,800 Canadian schools
  have been formally recognized for quality
  physical education on a daily basis.
• Play habits have become more passive with new
  technology. Children are spending a great deal
  more time on computers and playing video games.
• Many students are transported to school and to
  other places for convenience or safety reasons.

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Medical Consequences
Type 2 Childhood Diabetes Once almost never
seen in adolescents, now accounts for as many as
half of all new diagnoses of diabetes in North
America. Diabetes is a major risk factor in the
development of heart disease, blindness and
kidney failure.
Rising Blood Pressure High blood pressure levels
have been found to occur about 9 times more often
among obese children and adolescents than those
who are not obese.
Elevated Cholesterol Studies show that
overweight children are 2.4 times more likely to
have elevated cholesterol levels.
Asthma Symptoms A large study in England and
Scotland of children aged 4 to 11 years showed
that the level of overweight was a factor related
to symptoms of asthma.
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Heart Disease Risk Higher risk factors for heart
disease seen in children and young adults were
shown to be related to a greater amount of
coronary artery calcification, particularly in
overweight children.
Social Isolation Teasing about body weight has
been consistently associated with low body
satisfaction, low self-esteem, more symptoms of
depression, and thinking about and attempting
suicide.
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TOTAL FITNESS

• Includes being
• 1. Physically Fit
• - the ability to do a task successfully without
  undue fatigue

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• 2. Intellectually Fit
• - the ability of a person to use and improve
  his/her mental abilities and education experience

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• 3. Emotionally Fit
• - is the ability of a person to satisfy the
  following needs a) a sense of
  individual worth
• b) a feeling of acceptance or belonging
• c) self-confidence

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• 4. Socially Fit
• - is the ability to get along well with other
  people