Physical Activity and Sport are a large part of societies everyday life. Some people take part in physical activity for many different reasons, such as, health benefits, employment, elite athletes, or pure enjoyment. According to the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, it was stated that, "A regular, preferably daily routine of at least 30 - 45 minutes of brisk walking, bicycling, or even dancing will reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, hyper extension, colon cancer, and diabetes." The research article, "Physical Activity and Sport in the Lives of Girls", who was directed by The Centre for Research on Girls and Women in Sport University of Minnesota discusses many aspects that girls deal with when participating in physical activity and sports. Some of these topics include physiological, psychological, and sociological dimensions of their lives. Throughout this paper I will summarize the issues discussed in the article and contribute my !

Before directly entering the main discussions of the paper, the directors thought it was necessary to give some background information. This was done so information would not b

This definition must be kept in mind when analyzing the material of this article because

They discuss barriers that influence participation and non-participation. These are such things as race, economic status, facility availability, and physical ability. Some families are unfortunate and can not afford such things as health club memberships, fees for transportation if they live a far distance specific facilities, and some mothers and fathers depend on their children to take responsibility of younger siblings while they are still at work, etc... Girls are faced with many challenges which will be discussed extensively through the following paper.

"Girls need safe, healthy, and supportive environments to grow and excel. Policies need to tap the power and potential of physical activity and sport to advance girls' health, physical, and emotional development, social well-being and educational aspirations and achievements. Efforts must be directed toward increasing girls' participation in physical activity and sport. It should also be noted that most of the following policy recommendation would, if implemented, enrich the experience of boys as well as girls."

( The Centre of Research on Girls and Women in Sport 1997 )

"Girls are not suppose to be big, strong, powerful, pr physical; such attributes are seen as shameful and a source of offence to others, particularly boys."

( The Centre for Research on Girls & Women in Sport 1997 )

, lowers self-esteem, and may persuade them to discontinue the activity. Self-perception is directly related to motivational behaviour. Positive self-perception drives one to do better and achieve their goals. "Parents, coaches, and peers should be realistic, supportive, and encouraging in reinforcing girls' capabilities in physical activity." ( The Centre for Research on Girls & Women 1997 )

If some girls do take part in mixed gender sports are sometimes rejected by the opposite sex and have the chance of being disliked entirely. Researchers have said that girls are not naturally less athletic than boys and do have the co-ordination, strength, and attentional focus. It is said that skipping, dance, figure skating, swimming, etc... are suited for girls, compared to boys who are suited for hockey, baseball, football, and rugby. Mostly aggressive contact sports. Fortunately some girls are crossing that barrier and most girl find playing with the opposite sex very rewarding. It makes them feel physically equal.

of course have its disadvantage, some of which have already been mentioned in this paper. Without regular exercise, girls ten to tire easily, have less energy, and be more at risk to infection and disease, especially later in life. On the other side, with regular exercise, it is the total opposite. Girls and women feel energized, feel better and cope more efficiently with stress. Another consequence of not participating, especially at an early age, is lack of development of motor skills. Lack of motor skills find to make adolescents and adults uncomfortable learning new movements. This may steer them away for activity for fear of lacking skill and being embarrassed. A very interesting consequence of not participating in physical activity or sport is character development. Research has found that non-involvement in sport does not develop character or at least what is seen as a positive one. It was found that, "significant, correlation between participation in competitive high s!

the physiological, psychological, and sociological means do influence the growth and

There are far too many athletes these days that are training with a proper diet. They are using unhealthy methods to lose weight, such as, diuretics, diet pills, and laxatives. They could be doing this for different reasons. In some sports, such as figure skating and gymnastics, coaches are constantly telling their athletes that they are too fat. This is likely to give the athlete a misperceive vision as overweight and cre

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Approximate Word count = 3060
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)