Physical literacy. What does this mean to us, the students at Sentinel Secondary School? Ask any of the grade 11 students taking Capstone this year, and you’ll be met with a groan—they studied this topic for over a month, complete with lectures from Mr. Fuller and Mr. Obeck, as well as a final essay about different facets of this subject. But ask anyone else, and they might not be able to answer. So what’s there to know?
Physical literacy can be defined as the ability to perform physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person. Recently, experts of physical literacy have become concerned with the lack of physical activity among today’s youth. Mark Lysyshyn is a researcher and medical health officer who has been studying physical literacy, specifically in BC and West Vancouver. He presented statistics which expressed the low numbers of teens who achieve a healthy amount of physical activity for their age. He found that although 42% of youth walk, cycle or skateboard to school in the North Vancouver school district, only 16% of youth walk, cycle or skateboard to school in the West Vancouver school district. He also found that significantly fewer girls are physically active than boys, with 24% of boys being active every day for at least 60 mins, and only 12% of girls active every day for at least 60 mins. Most importantly, he found that a third of students of the West Vancouver school district does not meet the recommended physical activity of at least 60 minutes, 3 days per week.
These statistics make it clear that students in West Vancouver are not all physically active. This is especially harmful to youth since there is a direct relationship between lack of physical literacy and health issues, such as obesity and depression. It is also problematic if students do not receive the crucial benefits of physical health. More physical activity can lead to improved long-term memory, increased energy and focus, and a better mood—advantages that are crucial in high school. Physical literacy can help you become a better student. Moreover, physical activity has been found to reduce symptoms of depression and lower risk of brain diseases, while increasing cognitive function and raising self-esteem : advantages which can benefit students as well.
How can we get physically literate as teens in today’s busy world?
Simple decisions, like taking stairs instead of the elevator, can promote physical literacy. Small changes that build over time can help make you physically literate. It can be difficult to start going to the gym every other day, but if you normalize taking stairs or walking instead of taking the bus over short distances, it can help motivate you to make bigger decisions in your life, like going to the gym. But this does not need to be the only solution since there are many other ways to get 60 minutes of physical activity 3 days per week, especially if you’re not taking a gym course at school. Going on long jogs and doing workouts without equipment at home are good ways to start. There is an abundance of no-equipment workout videos online that can help you get started. You can also sign up for dance classes or cycling classes at community centres, or just stick to dancing on TikTok. Group activities can be beneficial because it’s helpful to bring your friends to the gym to work out with you and motivate you, especially if it’s your first time going.
Remember that being physically literate is not the same as being a fitness guru. As long as you have the knowledge and ability to exercise, and you are promoting your health, you are physically literate. And as we learned, physical literacy can have a beneficial effect on your brain—no wonder the Capstone teachers are so excited about it.
Stay tuned for an interview with Mr. Fuller about implementing drop-off zones to reduce traffic and make students more physically active in the morning, coming this January!
Sources:
Suzuki, Wendy. TED, © TED Conferences, Nov. 2017,
https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise#t-42.
Ministry of Education. “The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 to 12.” Ontario Ministry of Education,
Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2015,
Lysyshyn, Mark. "Physical Activity in Youth". Vancouver Coastal Health,
August 2018.
Biddle, Stuart. “Physical activity and mental health: evidence is growing.” World psychiatry :
official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) vol. 15,2 (2016): 176-7. doi:10.1002/wps.20331
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