Meaning of Physical Education

If a survey asked people what they understood by the term Physical Education, most would answer that it is about sports activity, sports coaching, health education, yoga or individual fitness. All of these are associated with Physical Education - but none of them, on its own, is what Physical Education really means. Physical Education is all of that and something more.

In essence, Physical Education uses physical activity or movement to bring about positive changes in the physical, mental and emotional make-up of an individual. It is a broad field of education that studies the relationship between physical wellbeing, movement and the other domains of education.

Breaking down the term

The term is made of two words:

• Physical - relating to the body, and to any or all of the bodily characteristics: physical strength, physical endurance, physical fitness, physical appearance and physical health.
• Education - the preparation for life, or systematic instruction and training.

Put together, Physical Education is the systematic training of an individual, using his or her own body, to develop and maintain the body, build motor skills and physical abilities, form the habit of a healthy lifestyle, and develop the ability to control emotions for fuller living.

The modern view: movement education

In the modern context the emphasis has shifted from only physical fitness to overall fitness and wellbeing achieved through body movement. For this reason Physical Education is now also called movement education - it studies how the body moves to produce efficient motor activity.

Movement is governed by mechanical principles: to make a movement meaningful, a person must understand the forces acting on the body. Movement is also affected by factors such as physical fitness, emotional states like fear and anxiety, and even atmospheric conditions. Crucially, movement education gives the learner freedom of self-exploration - students are encouraged to find their own solutions to movement problems and to choose methods best suited to their own abilities.