ACTIVITY NO 1.

ESSAY: Importance of Movement.

“All creative activity begins with movement” as Joseph Zinker said, so,
movement is a fundamental aspect of life. Movement is more than just ‘exercise’
and does not necessarily require effort, though it does require action.  Movement
is the act or process of moving and especially changing place or position.

Our bodies are designed to move, not just in a straight line but in all directions. Bending,
twisting, rolling, crawling, jumping, carrying and reaching are all natural movements that our
bodies are designed to do.

Movement is essential for every aspect of health. It is an integral part of every function
and process within our bodies! Movement affects everything, from circulation to digestion to
metabolism to immunity. With movement, our bodies regulate hormone activity, detoxify and
respire. Daily movement promotes chemical changes in the body and stimulates neural pathways
which provoke the healing capacity and boosts immunity. Movement is essential for learning,
and ignites cerebral capacity and function. Movement also help our thought processes, emotions,
understanding and decision making.

In children, movement improves bone health, weight status, cognitive function and
interaction of others. For adults, movement reduces mortality from all causes, reduces cognitive
decline, improves sleep, reduces anxiety and depression in both healthy and those dealing with
psychology syndromes, regulates blood sugar, helps maintain a healthy weight and can help
decrease pain. Amongst older adults, movement reduces the incidence of falls and decreases the
risk of frailty.

Movement has long-term health benefits for all, regardless of age, gender, disease or
disability. These are:

To Ensure ease of physical movement, the body is based on the philosophy of “use-it;
or lose-it”. Any joint or muscle that is not used on a frequent basis will lose part of its function.
If there is a lack of movement a person will typically experience movement that becomes more
deliberate, difficult, stiffer, heavier, weaker or movement that is accompanied by pain and
discomfort. Bottom-line, you need to continually move so that you maintain the ability to move.

Assist with internal movement, the degree and type of external movement directly
impacts cardiovascular function, muscle development, hormones and every other system of the
body. Movement is required to pump lymph throughout the body and to aid in the return of blood
from the extremities. The movement of blood, nutrients, oxygen and cellular energy is dependent
on external movement.

Strength, a person’s strength is based on the load that a muscle can hold or endure.
Strength is developed and maintained by engaging muscles in activities that work the muscles
and that train them to hold, carry or lift increasing amounts of weight.

“The Get up and Go”, the energy that a person experiences on a daily basis is linked to
their activity level. An active lifestyle or daily movement may be the tools needed to combat
fatigue and restore energy levels. Sedentary individuals, who begin to engage in regular
movement, have reported an increase in energy levels and a decrease in feelings of fatigue.

Sleep, movement promotes improved sleep quality by allowing for smoother and more

regular transitions between the cycles and phases of sleep. Individuals who are active have fewer
episodes of sleeplessness and fall asleep easier and sleep more soundly compared to sedentary
individuals. Aerobic movement three times a week has been shown to increase the amount of
time spent sleeping and decrease pre-sleep anxiety in individuals who suffer
from sleeping difficulties. Also, the change in body temperature promoted by exercise triggers
areas in the brain that help to initiate sleep. Yoga has also been shown to decrease anxiety thus
promoting restful sleep if anxieties and a racing mind are associated with lack of sleep or
poor sleep quality.

Maintaining body weight, generally speaking, body weight is a balance between

calories consumed versus calories burned, or expended. Movement and exercise increases caloric
expenditure to balance the calories. Each individual has a basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is
the amount of calories the body burns in a given day for basic physiological functioning. With
resistance training there is an increase in lean tissue and muscle mass which causes an increase
in BMR forcing the body to burn more calories at rest. This beneficial adaptation to weight
training is essential for weight maintenance and also essential to combat the typical decrease
in BMR following weight loss.

Mood and stress reduction All types of activity, aerobic or anaerobic contribute to

improved mood and stress reduction. Endorphins, the body’s feel good neurotransmitters, are
released during activity creating a natural feeling of well-being, decreasing feelings of stress.
Movement is also a form of meditation in motion. When one engages in movement the mind is
focused on the body leaving little time for thoughts of life’s stressful events. Movement has also
been proven to decrease levels of depression, anxiety and improve self-esteem.[4] Yoga, or
stretching movements, has been associated with a decrease in tension and anxiety. Regular
movement has also been shown to have an anti-depressive effect in patients with mild to
moderate depression.
Prevention of disease, internal and external movement in the body is essential to keep
the body working optimally and prevent disease. Any disease, in any system can be decreased or
prevented with regular movement.

Cardiovascular health, the heart is responsible for pumping blood and oxygen to every
organ and cell of the body. Engaging in activities or exercise that increases heart rate strengthens
the heart and makes it more efficient.

Bone density, resistance training and weight bearing movement, such as jogging or

walking stimulate bone formation and decrease the risk of osteoporosis. Osteoblasts, the bone
building cells, are stimulated when we engage in exercises and activities that put stress on our
bones. This beneficial stress causes the bones to adapt and thus maintain or increase bone
density. In order to prevent the age related changes in bone density, it is imperative to engage in
regular movement that puts a beneficial stress on the bones. Vibration training has also been
shown to be very effective in preventing and treating osteoporosis.

Digestion, although digestion is improved by regular movement, also while at rest, the
body is in a parasympathetic state which allows the body to ‘rest and digest’. When beginning to
move or exercise the body shifts to a sympathetic state allowing one to ‘fight or flight’. When the
body shifts from a parasympathetic state to a sympathetic state blood flow is shunted away from
the digestive organs to the exercising muscles. This shift in blood flow causes food in the
digestive tract to move quicker and thus has a quicker transit time through the intestines.
Less water is absorbed and food moves faster improving sluggish digestion in individuals who
suffer from constipation. Daily movement is a key component to digestive health.
 Immune function, movement can have a beneficial effect on immune function. Frequent
tai chi has been shown to increase T-lymphocyte count in the body. Moderate intensity exercise
has revealed beneficial effects on leukocyte or white blood cell concentration in the blood
following exercise, as well as, an increase in neutrophil, a form of white blood cell that is often
the body’s first response to an infection. Lymphocyte levels also increased during exercise. An
increase in immune response with exercise seems to be limited by intensity and duration. Intense
training can prove to hinder the immune system. Rigorous or prolonged training can induce
immunodeficiency in some athletes resulting in increased infections. When it comes to exercise
and the immune system, moderation is the key.

Prevention of chronic disease, in adults, resistance training has been shown to decrease
the rate, incidence and assist in the treatment of certain chronic diseases. Researchers have found
a reduction in the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, diabetes,
improved management of cancer, neuromuscular disorders, HIV and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) with regular resistance training. Exercise is an essential part of
optimizing health and warding off chronic diseases associated with lack of physical activity.

The World Health Organization recommends that:

Children must complete 1 hour of daily moderate-vigorous intensity movement and

complete muscle-strengthening, flexibility and bone-strengthening movements 3 times a week.
On the other hand, adults must complete 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise daily or 150
minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each
week. Adults also need muscle-strengthening movements at least 2 days each week.

Movement Education is a very instrumental tool in physical education today. Incorporating

movement into education leads to better morale for students and their ability to function at a
higher level in school. By functioning at a higher level, students are able to retain more
information and remain focused in the classroom. It is very influential and impacts a child’s
physical activity and fitness for the better. Movement Education has several different aspects to it,
but all with the common goal of increasing the wellness of students. Technology has become a
more popular and effective way of using Movement Education in physical education classes. For
example, music, the Wii, and yoga and Zumba tapes have become great resources. Movement
Education has become increasingly popular in physical education, especially in the younger
grades, and is helping get children active and excited for exercise.

"I've noticed my students are more attentive, they listen a little better and are able to
focus on the next subject we're going into," said Inge Wilzoch, a first grade teacher at B.C.
Charles Elementary School in Newport News. "It reaches more children, and every educator will
tell you that's the most important thing, finding something that reaches and helps the most
children."

Movement education also helps combat the growing problem of childhood obesity. "It's
alarming when you hear statistics like 70 to 80 percent of obese children will remain obese into
adulthood," said Swirzinski. "If we can just change the way children view moving, and make it
more enjoyable, they'll have it for a lifetime and be healthier people. "Oneway movement
education makes activity more enjoyable, is by incorporating it into books used in the classroom.
"Computers and video games pose a problem for education nowadays," said Wilzoch.
"Kids have to move, it's so important. I've seen this program help with their maturity. It helps
them learn organized movement." Movement also helps children who don't learn as easily using
traditional methods.
"Eighty-five percent of students are kinesthetic learners, meaning they learn better when
things are hands-on," said Swirzinski. "By incorporating movement into classroom lessons, you
can help these students who may have a harder time focusing. "One of the barriers Swirzinski
has found hard to break down, is that moving is just for fun and isn't important for education.
"Changing attitudes is the most challenging part," she said. "Movement isn't just a way to
get energy out and have fun. The body helps train the brain how to learn, and it helps keep our
kids healthy."

REFRENCES:
https://www.dailypress.com/life/dp-movement-education-story.html
https://www.dailypress.com/life/dp-movement-education-story.html
https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Benefits-of-Movement-Education-FKSVKCFSQUDSX
https://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/education/nurseries/importance-of-movement-in-education