Reflection: Fitness and Body Composition

In our Health and Wellness course, we learned a great deal about fitness and body weight composition. We learned the benefits of physical activity, different components of health-related fitness, and several strategies to incorporate physical activity into a daily routine. This topic interests us because it is relevant to each and every person – we all need to exercise to stay healthy and have a higher quality of life. This topic also interests us because we learned new routines and exercises in class that were relatively unknown to us before.
Proper fitness can impact every area of one’s life. Being physically fit and healthy allow one to feel better. Socially, physically fit people are more accepted in society. Having a healthy body composition likely leads to a more positive body image and higher self-esteem. Fitness is incorporated by many religions, having youth and adult sport leagues, gyms, and other group activities. Body composition and fitness is also a family issue, as the family controls most of one’s nutrition and greatly influences one’s exercise habits. Family, social, and religious cultures all influence how and when we stay physically fit. 
Having a healthy nation is important to public health. A nation of physically fit people will have more productive, happier people contributing to society. Also, the amount of money spent on healthcare could greatly be reduced if people were more physically fit. Fitness is important to raise every individual’s quality of life. Though we have learned much about the benefits of physical fitness, we have not learned much about its implementation in society. How do our youth learn the importance of physical fitness and how is fitness education implemented in schools? The typical physical education program may facilitate games and activities, but how and when do young people learn techniques of exercising and how often one should exercise?

Group members: Marc Goldner, Samantha Mandel, Allison Goldstein