YOUTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES: PROMOTIONS AND BENEFITS

Abstract

The fitness industry has exploded over the last few years as youths have more leisure time at their disposal, more so looking at the various benefits of being fit. If you look at the pages of the newspapers, they entice you with advertisement to ‘slim down in two weeks’, ‘reduce your weight in one week’, etc. When you see people visit such places, it is an attempt to improve their level of fitness for one reason or the other. Modern technology has greatly affected the youths in taking part in active physical activities, e.g. television, automobile, motor bikes, gas cookers, iron, video games, etc. This paper focuses on youth and physical activities, how their physical activities have been influenced by a myriad of interacting biological, psychological, social and environmental factors, and the benefits that could be derived from active participation in regular physical activities. There is therefore, a conclusion that parents should encourage their offspring to engage in physical activities from youth as this will sustain them in adulthood.