Physical Activity & Wellbeing (AQA GCSE Physical Education (PE))

Linking Physical Activity to Wellbeing

• Participating in exercise and sporting activities can improve your physical health, wellbeing, as well as your overall fitness

  • A person's wellbeing includes their mental health and happiness, their comfort, and whether they feel fulfilment in their life

• We can breakdown the benefits of physical activity into three different categories:

Physical health and wellbeing

• Physical health is not just muscle strength and athletic performance

• Cardiovascular health relates to the health of the heart and blood vessels

  • Physical activity increases cardiovascular health, particularly aerobic exercises such as running, swimming and cycling

  • Having good cardiovascular health reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease which includes problems like blood clots/blockages that lead to heart attacks and strokes

• Other body systems can also increase in efficiency, such as the musculoskeletal system

• It reduces the risk of some lifestyle-related diseases, such as type II diabetes

• Having good physical health makes day-to-day household tasks easier, such as walking up stairs, childcare, and carrying heavy items

  • People with poor physical health may experience pain or breathlessness from these activities

• High fitness from physical activities also reduces the chance of injury from day-to-day activities and can improve the experience of having a physical job, such as manual labour or standing up all day for work

• There is a reduced risk of obesity, which can significantly decrease physical health and therefore wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing

• Mental health does not just include severe conditions like anxiety or depression, but also overall happiness and emotional wellbeing

  • Participating in physical activities has a positive effect on mental health

• It helps to relieve stress and tension by clearing and focusing the mind

• It triggers the release of chemicals in the brain that cause a happy 'feel-good' sensation, such as the hormone serotonin

• It helps people to regulate and control their emotions

Social health and wellbeing

• A person with high social health includes:

  • All of their basic needs are met and considered safe, this includes housing, nutrition and clothing

  • They have a support system of friends and/or family and have emotional needs met through their interactions with them

  • They are capable of forming meaningful relationships with others without experiencing stress or anxiety in social settings

• Participating in physical activities increases social health by providing opportunities to meet new people with shared interests

• This is particularly the case for team sports where groups of people gain a strong connection by needing to work together towards a common goal

• Gaining skills like strong communication and good cooperation helps to improve sporting outcomes, but these skills can also be applied to other areas of life, such as school or the workplace

Community and mental health diagram

A community of people supporting a friend with poor mental health. Being part of a sporting community provides opportunities to receive support.