The Level Of American Fitness Essay, Research Paper

Although consciousness of the importance of physical fittingness has increased in the United States, the mean degree of an American s fittingness has decreased. In short, most mundane citizens are out of form. This is partly due to the more modern and easier lives that most Americans lead compared to Americans of earlier clip periods. If Americans wish to remain in good wellness, so their day-to-day regiments must be changed.

Among striplings and adolescents, the

same Numberss are noticeable. About 50

per centum of American youth aged 12

through 21 are non smartly active

on a regular footing. Merely 19 per centum of

all high school pupils are physically active

for more than 20 proceedingss or more, five

yearss a hebdomad, chiefly in physical instruction

category ( Physical Activity and Health:

Adolescents and Teenagers, par. 5-8 ) .

These Numberss are a important bead from old surveies of earlier decennaries. When physical fittingness reform was stressed in schools during the 1950ss, the authorities administered several trial to acquire an exact figure on American kids s degree of fittingness. The United States office of Education discovered that in one twelvemonth fifty-six of 108,000 public schools had strengthened their physical instruction plans. These alterations were noticed. Between 1964 and 1965, 11,000 male childs and misss who took the Youth Fitness trial had higher average tonss in every event and at all ages than the consequences recorded from the old decennary s trials ( Van Dalen 520-521 ) .

Although modern, well-designed school-based intercessions directed at increasing physical activity in physical instruction categories have been shown to be effectual, merely twenty five per centum of high school pupils enroll in physical instruction category daily. In 1991, 41 per centum of all high school pupils enrolled in physical activity. That means that in merely 10 old ages, the day-to-day degree of physical activity amongst teens has been cut about in half ( Physical Activity and Health: Adolescents and Teens, par. 9-10 ) . Not even the best school based intercessions directed at increasing physical activity can really better a pupil s degree of fittingness if they aren t participathing in category to get down with.

Over 60 per centum of grownups do non

engage in the recommended sum of

activity. In fact, over 20 five per centum

of American grownups are non active at all

( Physical Activity and Health: Adults, par. 6-8 )

Refering the history of physical fittingness consciousness, physical activity for better wellness and wellbeing has been an of import subject throughout much of western hemispherical, American history. Since the beginning of consciousness, public wellness recommendations have evolved greatly. They started with stressing vigorous activity for cardio-respiratory fittingness. The same recommendations are still given, but now it is thought to be better to include the options of moderate degrees of activity for legion wellness benefits ( Historical Background and Evolution of Physical Activity Recommendations, par. 1-2 ) .

One of the first specified degree Fahrenheit

ields of medical specialty in the fittingness universe was athleticss medical specialty. Doctors associated with professional athleticss squads ab initio practiced athleticss medical specialty, but with involvement in recreational athleticss and physical fittingness plans in the 1970 s and 1980 s the field grew quickly. Sports medical specialty still continues to be a aggressive division of specified medical specialty that has to revolutionise the apprehension of exercising and the organic structure s reaction to the emphasis of exercising ( Sports Medicine, par.1 )

These doctors and physicians are non bring outing these earth-shattering finds on their ain. The American Council on Exercise ( ACE ) is really active in fittingness research ( The Future of Fitness, par. 2 ) . The official authorities commission to back up physical fittingness is The President s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports ( PCPFS ) is highly vocal in the instruction of the populace. PCPFS has been contending its ever-toughening campaign against indolence since the epoch of President Kennedy, who founded the Council ( Van Dalen, p. 520-521 ) . There are besides many Internet web sites ( e.g. efitness.com, emedicine.com, nutricise.com ) that provide easy accessible information to the populace.

Because of groups like ACE and PCFS, the consciousness of the benefits to physical fittingness are being broadcasted everyplace ; it is merely a affair of clip until every American understands the value of being physically fit. When that clip comes, experts say more people will exert to accomplish better wellness alternatively of merely to better visual aspect. Besides, exercising will go a critical portion of disease direction. In the hereafter, escapade exercises such as hike and mountain mounting will replace traditional treadmill and weight developing exercise. Sports specific preparation such as golf and tennis exercisings will go more mainstream. It is besides said that exercising plans geared towards older grownups such as water-based fittingness will increase in popularity ( The Future of Fitness, par. 3-4, 6-7 ) .

Plants Cited List

1. Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Sports Medicine. Internet WWW page, at URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.thehistorychannel.com/peri/print_book.pf? ID-27596

2. Garraty, John A. Popular Engagement in Sports. Internet WWW page, at URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.thehistorychannel.com/peri/print_book.pf? ID-5570

3. Green, Harvey. Fit for America. Pantheon Books: New York, 1986.

4. Nutricise.com. A Fitness Fad born 50 old ages ago. Internet WWW page, at URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.efit.com/servlet/article/strength/8432.html

5. Nutricise.com. The Future of Fitness. Internet WWW page, at URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.efit.com/servlet/article/strength/3700.html

6. Surgeon General Executive Summary. Historical Background and Evolution of Physical Activity Recommendations. Internet WWW page, at URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fitness.com/activity/execsum.nun

7. Surgeon General Executive Summary. Physical Activity and Health: Adolescents and Teens. Internet WWW. Page, at URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fitness.gov/activity/adoles.html

8. Surgeon General Executive Summary. Physical Activity and Health: Adults. Internet WWW page, at URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fitness.gov/activity/adults.html

9. Van Dalen, Deobold B. A World History of Physical Education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1971

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