2. Benefits of physical activity

Project MOVE BEYOND No. ID 2019-1-NL01-KA204-060534

2. Benefits of physical activity

Figure 1 –Recommendation on physical activity for children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 yearsfrom UKK-instituutti.

Besides obvious health benefits, as described by this picture from UKK-instituutti, physical activityoffersmany chances for young people to gain experiences and develop competencies which can be used in daily activities. As described in the Agora model, experiences and competencies developed during a physical setting can be transferred to

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Project MOVE BEYOND No. ID 2019-1-NL01-KA204-060534

non-sport settings. Thus, learning to work together doing a physical activity also helps with team-based activities in other environments, such as school or work. The experiences and competencies obtained during sport, like communicating and playing with other people, improved endurance, and physical coordinating skills can influence the

self-perception of socially vulnerable youth. Itisgood to also note that physical activity is not limited to only sport: for example, acting can be a veryphysical undertaking where the actor really pushes their body to the limits.

A sense of belonging to a group improves social integration by developing social networks, civic pride, and community cohesion. Young people’s engagement in physical activities is known to contribute to the developmental outcomes for a healthy lifestyle, where children learn about physical, social, and cognitive skills. More broadly, engagement in physical activity is also recognised to contribute to a range of positive outcomes, specifically: physical and mental health, social well-being, and cognitive and academic performance. (Herricketal.,2012;Mburu-Matiba,2015).

Plenty of research has been done on the effects of physical activity on healthy behaviour and healthy lifestyle. Physical activity is associated with a decreased likelihood of depression. In another study,those who do physical exercise were found on average to be less anxious, depressed, and neurotic. It also helps young people in learning new things. In her thesis The Impact of Exercise (Physical Activity) and Healthy Lifestyle (Eating) Among the Youth: A Literature Review,Lucy Mburu-Matiba (2015) reviewed and analysed thirty-eight articles on exercise and healthy lifestyle to support her aim. The result of the literature shows that engagement in physical activity is recognised as a contributor to a range of positive outcomes in physical and mental health, social well-being,and cognitive and academic performances. The literature identifies the fact that people who exercise and eat healthy food have a higher chance of living a healthy lifestyle and less risk of getting diseases like type 2 diabetes, depression, andcardiovascular diseases which are associated with lack of physical activity and choice of lifestyle.

Participating in physical activity could have many positive effects for vulnerable people, such as improved physical and mental health, gaining social contacts and reduced social isolation. It can also helpyoung people in dealing with stressors that can be related to the physical (feeling fatigued, a lack of personal space) or emotional (feelings of incompetence, anxiety) environment. Facing these stressors in a safe environment and dealing with them may help to deal with them also in other environments. (Scholten, 2015)

There is also a growing body of evidence linking higher levels of physical activity to improved academic performance. This can help people in marginalised positions.

In her master’ s thesis Sport Participation and Socially Vulnerable Youth (A study on the relation between sport participation, self-concept, self-esteem and sense of coherence and an analysis of factors that are related to sport participation of youth at youth care

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