engleski

Preschool and School Programs of Physical Education as a Prevention: Effects, Correlates and Health Implications

General efficient prevention strategy is often much more functional than therapeutic working with individuals. A general preventive program with high-quality programmed and planned physical activities (such as school programs of physical education) was designed for the purpose of insuring healthy development of the children. The basic objective of school physical education programs is to stimulate various aspects of psychophysical development of a child, primarily to influence emotional characteristics, motivation and social characteristics. Stimulating motor abilities and knowledge (skills) are of secondary importance, while the potential influence on functional abilities and morphological attributes is very indirect. In other words, the general short-term aim of school physical education program is to stimulate integrative child psychophysical development, while the long-term aim is to accept useful and healthy habits important for living. Its purposes are to develop body-exercising habits and (in the future) healthy lifestyles, preserving health during lifetime. Hence, the most important is to develop initially positive children's attitudes towards and engaging in sport activities and/or everyday physical exercising. The enhancement of motivation and improvements in general developmental status of a child, can facilitate later selection of talented individuals for particular sport disciplines, or it might be just a good foundation for the sport active lifestyle in adulthood. However, the difference among desirable moderate physical exercising and sport, with strong competitive component, has to be emphasized. The opportunities and conditions under which sport (physical activities) can affect the development and health of the child are described, together with possible risks in the child's early beginnings of engaging in sport activities. Taking into account primarily the child's age and individual specific characteristics, it can provide involving in sport activities, which are adjusted to the child's abilities. Finally, avoiding overestimating of benefits influenced by physical exercising, it must not be forgotten that sport is only one of a number of health and developmental impacts.

health impacts, preschool children, programs

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