BODY EXERCISE PROFITS LITTLE
What maybe called a revolution in body exercise is here with us in Nigeria.
Previously, body exercise or physical education or fitness was taught in Primary schools in the country then by Teachers Training College students on teaching practice. It was an exciting moment which pupils in primary schools long for because of the time it affords to play around, compete with others to win prizes and enjoy the relationships and teachings of new breed of teachers that were soft and tender hearted. Since, it is a subject of its own, participation becomes compulsory for every pupil that hunger for success and promotion to another class.
Physical education could only be mentioned among Secondary school students during the inter house sports competitions, when students were divided into different houses to compete with others and other schools students during the sports week. It was a subject meant for Teachers Training College and Universities Students who are specializing in Education. Generally, physical fitness was consciously attended to as an academic and relaxation activities and not for it’s health implications. Boys were seen to exercise inform of football during leisure hours and girls engaged in some form of exercises during play hours. Such fun filled leisure hours of old has been stolen by wide spread of Television, computer and internet based programs and continued home tutorials that presently take the greater hours of children’s days that no room exists for leisure group play any longer.
In those days people were not intentionally into exercises for health gains until recently. Parents in Africa used to forbid their children and consider the same as idling away precious time that would have been spent in helping out in farms, trade or house chores and for that, a lot of children received severe dealings from parents, unlike the developed world where children were encouraged to exercise for all round benefits especially health.
BODY EXERCISE PROFITS LITTLE
In the developed world, physical education comprising many sporting activities has come of age dating as far back as late 1400’s and gained relevance and momentum in the centuries following, especially in 1800’s. In 776 BC, the first ancient Olympiad was held while in 1896, first modern Olympic was held in Athens, Greece. Johann Bernard Basedow, Friedrich Jahn and Charles Beck, all of German stock, were popular contributors to making physical education gain wide recognition, establishing a system of physical training among others, which was considered as a form of patriotism, by creating strong, sturdy and fearless youths who would help to secure Germany’s freedom and could defend the Fatherland from outside forces having been defeated in the Napoleonic wars. It is self evident the advantages of muscular development (macho) and knowledge of martial acts which are off shoots of body fitness and physical exercises to self and national defense in times of war and attacks as envisaged by these Germans. Apart from this, the development of physical education and body fitness has offered employments to people in form of teaching, made many footballers, wrestlers and other athletes’ millionaires who would have not done well academically. Other ancillary benefits include; scattered locations of fitness shops in every nook and crannies of the towns with laudable patronage which has invariably created more jobs to non sports men and women in the system. The global friendship, interaction, relationships enhanced through global sporting competition like Olympics, and relieves from stress garnered from the day’s tedious jobs, as people relax in front of TV Sets watching different sporting competitions.
Due to the pervasive enlightenment on the perceived benefits of exercise to health and life across the globe, Nigerians could not but join millions of people all over the World to seek for a better healthy living. Of course, Africa would need exercise to augment her inadequate nourishing food supply and relieve from stress through excessive labour, but to what extent does exercise guaranties a healthy living begs for answer.
Body fitness gurus and nutritionists are not holding back from educating the public on this subject in order to reduce the rate of mortality in our society and with the spread of gyms and fitness centers across the countries and early morning television programs on fitness, the message is penetrating fast into the heart of the society getting men and women obsessed with exercise.
According to the Surgeon General of Department of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University and other experts, benefits of exercise among many others include;
