AMA COMPUTER COLLEGE

San Fernando, Pampanga Campus

PHYSICAL FITNESS
(PHYED-101)

Submitted By:
Georgette P. Bautista

Date Submitted:
January 02, 2015

History of Physical Education

It was said that Physical Education has happened since the primary stages of human society
through the simple forms of basic survival skills like hunting. Later on, civilizations such as Indian,
ancient Chinese, and Egyptians had traditions and activity of physical education like sporting
competitions, military tactics and training, and martial arts.

The first known literary reference to an athletic competition is preserved in the ancient Greek text,
the Iliad, by Homer. While by no means is the beginning of physical activity, it marks an important
point in the study of the history of physical education. Thus the Greek influence is often argued to
be the most fundamental to how the discipline is viewed today.
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn was the father of modern physical education. During the nineteenth
century, Jahn established the first gymnastic school for children in Germany. A fervent German
nationalist, Jahn believed that the best kind of society was one that had established standards of
physical strength and abilities. The first Turnplatz, or open-air gymnasium, was opened by Jahn
in Berlin in 1811, and the Turnverein (gymnastics association) movement spread rapidly.
Around the same time, the Swedish teacher Pehr Henrik Ling started to see the benefits
of gymnastics. In 1813 he was successful in developing the Royal Gymnastic Central Institute
with the cooperation of the Swedish government, which went far to advance physical conditioning.
Soon, many European nations followed suit, first with private schools mostly for gymnastics. In
the early twentieth century, with the advent of organized sports, public schools around the world
started to develop physical education curricula.
Before physical education became popular in school systems, private gyms started to crop up in
Europe and America. The first indoor gymnasium in Germany was probably the one built in Hesse
in 1852 by Adolph Spiess, an enthusiast for boys' and girls' gymnastics in the schools.
During the last decades of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, John Dewey and
his colleagues promoted progressive education ideas, challenging traditional education and
leading to reforms that included the introduction of physical education. Educational psychologists,
including Stanley G. Hall and Edward Thorndike supported Dewey's focus on activity in learning,
suggesting that children's play be recognized as an important aspect of their development.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first to seriously consider a nationwide physical fitness
program in the U.S. However, his well-intended President's Council on Youth Fitness never fully
materialized, and it was left up to the succeeding President John F. Kennedy to introduce and
encourage public school systems to adopt physical fitness programs in their curricula.
In Philippines, PE is mandatory for all years. Unless, the school gives the option for a student to
do the Leaving Certificate Vocational Program instead for fifth and sixth year. Some schools have
integrated martial arts training into their physical education curriculum.

The concept we term physical education has existed, at least informally, since humans began to
move upon the earth. Cultural survival was dependent upon the ability of human beings to improve
their movement capabilities; consequently, efforts to improve and understand the capacity for
movement have never diminished in importance to any society. The emphasis on the particular
aspects of physical education has shifted from time to time, but the constant thread, or theme, of
physical education throughout history has been humans moving dynamically.
—Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Physical Education, Contemporary Physical
Education

Objectives of Physical Education

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
A person who participates actively in physical activities will develop and maintain good health
and a high level of physical fitness. The accomplishment of physical skills can motivate an
individual to participate further in physical activities, therefore their physical development will
enhance.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Participation in the physical education activities provides opportunities for the development of
desirable social traits needed for a person’s social skills.
Some valuable traits are:
 friendliness
 cooperation
 respect for the rights of others
 sportsmanship
 Honesty in group competition.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The informal nature of physical education activity offers opportunities for self-expression and
emotional mastery. Example of traits are the ff.
 self-confidence
 self-control
 self- reliance
 courage
 determination

MENTAL DEVELOPMENT
An individual can develop his/her mental capabilities through participating in P.E activities. They
will learn the mechanical principles underlying movement, as they acquires knowledge and
understanding of rules and strategies of games and sports, and as they discovers ways of
improving his movements in gymnastics and dance. Also they will learn to develop and improve
their skills in music, arts, sports and other p.e activities.

Online References:
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_education#cite_note-5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Peace_and_Passion/SandboxPE

http://www.answers.com/