Sports and Personal Development
How do sports contribute to personal development?
Just as philosophy
and the arts help develop the
intellectual, spiritual and emotional
aspects of ourselves, sports help us develop the physical. We need
balance of mind, body and spirit to feel and function at our best.
Playing
sports helps much more than in the physical aspects.
Participating in sports builds
character, teaches strategic
thinking, analytical thinking, leadership skills, goal
setting and risk taking to name a few. And those are just the
non-physical aspects!
The ancient Greeks, who brought us philosophy
and the
arts, also took sport seriously.
In
ancient Greece mostly boys
and men were encouraged to develop strong, fit and graceful bodies.
They would often
meet and compete in running, jumping, discus and javelin throwing
events (eventually these competitions became the Olympic games).
Girls also engaged in physical activity but not to the extent the boys did, nor did they compete in the games.
How do sports and physical activity help us today?
Participating in sports/physical activity develops the 5 components of fitness, which are: strength, speed, skill, stamina and flexibility.
When we are under stress from personal problems, work pressures and anxiety, apart from the fitness benefits, exercise through playing sports helps release pressure and tension in a healthy and controlled way.
Benefits of engaging in sports or physical activity:
- Sports are fun
- Heightens sense of overall well being
- Improves sleep patterns and levels of anxiety
- Clears the mind
- Develops motor skills and mind/body connection
- Staves off depression
- Reduces risk of many diseases
In order to continue to
develop and take care of every aspect of ourselves, as well as
attending to the mind and spirit, we must attend to the physical - our
bodies.
Related Articles:
Success In Sports and In Life
7 Life Lessons Learned from Basketball
The Importance of Maintaining Balance
