Exercise and Outdoor Play in Childhood Education

Introduction

Childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes, and sedentary lifestyle are all conditions that lead to serious health problems later in life — and all may be prevented by lifestyle changes. This paper considers exercise as a fundamentally important aspect of a child's upbringing, lifestyle, and education. It is this third area in particular that drives the focus of the research presented here. The responsibility falls upon schools, which occupy the larger part of a child's daytime experiences, to facilitate and encourage physical activity through regular outdoor play, opportunities for sporting competition, and the fostering of positive peripheral lifestyle behaviors relating to nutrition.

The study concerns the habits of youth and the demand upon schools to steward those habits in a healthy direction. The improvement of opportunities for exercise, physical activity, and outdoor play will have myriad positive effects on both the educational experience of the child and the future health and lifestyle orientation the child develops.

Correlates of Physical Activity in Children

According to Sallis et al. (2000), there are a number of distinct factors that make one more or less inclined toward healthful physical activity. In children, the propensity toward physical activity will be largely dependent on a number of variables. Sallis et al. determined that the "variables that were consistently associated with children's physical activity were sex (male), parental overweight status, physical activity preferences, intention to be active, perceived barriers (inverse), previous physical activity, healthy diet, program/facility access, and time spent outdoors" (Sallis et al., 2000, p. 963). Individually, collectively, and in all manner of permutation, these variables combine to establish a tendency toward healthful physical activity — or a lack thereof.

As Sallis et al. (2000) show, the public education institution has the opportunity to play a positive role in many of these contexts. The influence schools have over dietary content and schedule, access to suitable facilities, and other considerations shown to affect physical activity indicates a clear opportunity for schools to help initiate children into positive and healthy patterns of behavior.

The Role of Schools and Outdoor Recess

The concept of recess, in particular, is filled with opportunities for children to find their own preferred outlet for physical activity. The suggested benefits of outdoor activity and the direct relationship between outdoor play and physical activeness together encourage this aspect of the school day as consistent with schools' assumed responsibilities. From the perspective of both traditional and progressive teachers, there is a tendency to look favorably upon outdoor play as a method to stimulate children socially and physically, as well as to provide a break from the monotony of the classroom environment.

One current policy approach of great value is that offered in Burberry et al.'s (2005) study, which recommends "enhancing the take-up of sporting opportunities by 5- to 16-year-olds by increasing the percentage of school children who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high-quality PE and school sports within and beyond the curriculum" (p. 4). This helps, if somewhat modestly, to counteract the average of 17 hours a week that children spend watching television (Ofcom, 2004, 1.3). A consensus amongst educators holds that childhood obesity is directly related to the sedentary lifestyle that discourages outdoor play. It is therefore understood that schools and teachers have a direct responsibility to engage children actively in opportunities for outdoor play.

The findings by Sallis et al. (2000), which draw a 60% positive association between exposure to outdoor play and engagement in physical activity, stimulate consideration of the relationship between organized physical activity as well. From the perspective of elementary school instructors, the value of recess and physical education is supplemented by the importance of engagement in some organized outdoor context. Where recess helps to promote informal rule-making and assumptive organizational behavior among children, Metzl and Shookhoff (2003) discuss the value of organized physical activity for youth. Organized athletic play in after-school programs has value even at a very young age and is often encouraged by teachers who can identify either ability or need in a student that might be best served by this type of involvement.

Conclusion

Metzl and Shookhoff (2003) also note that social outdoor play is shown to diminish a young person's propensity toward substance abuse. The text contends that "because sports increase an awareness of one's body and how it responds to different stimuli and circumstances, sports help prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Most athletes value what their bodies can do and want to maintain those abilities" (p. 6).

There is a body of research to support the claim that drug abuse vulnerability may be significantly counteracted by engagement in outdoor play. This same body of research suggests that those participating in sports from a young age are more likely to exhibit signs of healthy lifestyle orientation beyond simply abstaining from drug abuse. According to Pate et al. (2000), "male sports participants were more likely than male nonparticipants to report fruit and vegetable consumption on the previous day and less likely to report cigarette smoking, cocaine and other illegal drug use" (Pate et al., p. 904). The same was true in a similar proportion for female subjects. The emphasis on appreciation of one's body as a byproduct of physical activity can be supported by the tendency of athletic youths to engage in positive nutritional habits while avoiding the consumption of unhealthful substances.

The research presented above reveals that in addition to the expected gains in physical health and lifestyle orientation related to greater exercise opportunity, there are also meaningful benefits to the socialization, intellectual development, and ethical orientation of the individual. These findings underscore the primary recommendation produced by this research, which is addressed to schools, educators, and parents alike. For all parties, there should be a conscientious interest in making outdoor play a priority, helping to instill a desire for physical activity, and designing physical education programs that are compelling, enjoyable, and genuinely beneficial for children.

Perhaps the most important premise underlying these recommendations is that the habits children develop during their formative years with respect to diet and exercise are likely to stay with them throughout their lives. The degree to which these habits are guided in a positive direction may be a significant determinant of how long — and how well — that life is lived. As research from sources including the World Health Organization continues to affirm, establishing active habits in childhood is one of the most effective public health strategies available.