Building physical
t i r g l a t n e m and
If you have children at school, you are likely aware that Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) is a compulsory school subject. However, you may not realise that NSW schools are mandated to provide secondary students with 150 minutes of planned and organised physical activity and sport each week.
There is considerable research and science behind the benefits of physical activity. However, when you grasp the multitude of benefits in improving everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing, it’s clear why young people love to participate. The benefits on your body when engaging in physical activity and sport include: •
increased memory and brain function
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support of healthy body function and weight
• • •
protection from disease improved sleep and
reduced stress and anxiety.
And, while the physical benefits of sport are far-reaching, so too are the interpersonal and social benefits: •
learning to interact with others,
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collaborating and working towards an individual or shared goal.
•
cooperating as part of a team, and
Sport makes us physically stronger but being physically strong is only part of what keeps us healthy, as being mentally strong is equally as important.
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Success 2021 Learn
Let’s talk about tennis for a moment. Ashleigh Barty Ashleigh Barty is an outstanding female athlete and proud Indigenous Australian who was recently crowned the 2021 Ladies’ Singles Wimbledon Champion. Ash has an extraordinary history in the sport and from a young age led a public sporting life in both tennis and in Big Bash cricket. She is an incredibly hard worker and has overcome injury, setbacks and criticism, all while displaying humility and positivity. She is a proud advocate for her sport, her culture, and herself. Ash embodies the essential characteristics of an athlete who is both physically and mentally strong. Of course, she is in a somewhat unique position, to make her sporting talent her career, but she understands that staying at the top of her game requires a focus on both her physical strength and her mental stamina. That’s why in 2018, she engaged a mental strength coach to help her through some of her most brutal matches and gruelling training programs. You don’t need to be the world’s number one tennis player or engage a mental strength coach to work on your mental stamina because mental strength is vital for everyone, not just elite athletes.
