Children In Sports — Physical Education STD 12 Commerce — Question

There are following guidelines related to exercise or physical activity in various stages of growth and development, i.e., infancy, early childhood, later childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

1. Infancy (l to 2 years): During this stage of growth and development, physical activity or exercise should be encouraged. Gross motor activities or exercises should be promoted. Exercises to develop head control, sitting, crawling, etc., should be encouraged. Infants should be indulged in some exercises such as moving arms, legs and reaching to various objects. Infants should be provided objects, toys and games that encourage them to move and do things for themselves. They should be provided with safe environment for performing these activities or exercises. Watching TV and other electronic media should be avoided by the infants. Infants should not be restrained in high chair for prolonged periods. They should be encouraged to walk instead of using a stroller to carry them around. Simple exercises like throwing, catching and kicking a ball may be most suitable exercises during the stage of infancy.
2. Early Childhood (3 to 7 years): During this stage of growth and development such exercise or physical activity should be encouraged which helps in developing competence in movement skills (throwing, jumping, catching or kicking the ball). Emphasis should be laid down on participation and not on competition. During this stage, activities related to fine motor skills, i.e., coordinative abilities should be emphasised. Structured as well as unstructured physical activities should also be performed daily for at least sixty minutes by children during this stage of growth. Recreative as well as enjoyable methods should be used to encourage then for participation in various physical activities. Stress should also be laid on clean and safe environment during this stage of growth. They may be allowed to watch quality programmes on TV for one to two hours.
3. Later Childhood (8 to 12 Years): During this stage of growth and development children should indulge in activities such as, stunts, throwing, jumping, catching, running, etc., so that they can acquire body-control, strength and coordination. However, activities related to endurance should be avoided. Stress should also be laid down on organised or team games which aim to develop social-consciousness in them. During this stage, children should be introduced to competitive sports and taught the basic rules of sports competition, i.e., enjoying the game, fair play, simple strategies and tactics. They can also be introduced to the concept of sports training and the exercises that build endurance (aerobic exercises like running, swimming and cycling, etc.), strength (resistance exercises) and agility, coordination and balance (fast work and rapid movement exercises).
4. Adolescence (13 to 19 years): During the stage of adolescence, moderate to vigorous intensity exercise/physical activity is recommended for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day. They should also indulge in muscle strengthening exercises at least three days per week. They should also include bone strengthening exercises. Adolescents or teenagers should reduce sedentary behavior. Physical activity or exercise such as running, gymnastics, push-ups' jumping rope, playing hockey' basketball, swimming, tennis, and resistance exercises (weight training) should be included.
5. Adulthood (Above 19 years): Adults should try to be active always. They should do brisk walking, bike riding, dancing, and swimming with moderate intensity' They should also indulge in running, aerobic exercises, weight training, push-ups, sit-ups, etc., for muscle strengthening. They should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary. As a matter of fact, adults require such exercises or activities that help to increase their muscular and bone strength. so, they should perform resistance exercises at least two days a week to tone their muscles and bones' These exercises increase skeletal muscles strength, power, endurance and mass. Bone strengthening exercises/ activities produce an impact or tension force on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength. For bone strengthening, they should include running, jumping rope and weight training exercises.