KIN 240 – Introduction to Kinesiology The Importance of Physical Activity Experiences

Introduction How do our physical activity experiences transform our bodies and our physical performance? Physical activity experiences Defined as any activity that includes training, observation of practice and personal participation Physical activity experiences are essential means by which we increase our capacity to perform physical activity Almost everyone has desire to improve their performance of physical activities Only way to do this is via systematic exposure to more an more appropriate physical activity experiences Physical activity experiences are means by which we achieve expected health and psychological benefits of experiences

Human Physical Activity 4 ways in which physical activity may be considered unique to human species Intelligence based physical activity Involves intricate plans and is directed toward more sophisticated goals Cheetah runs fast but could not participate in relay race Ethically and aesthetically based physical activity Movements can be used to express imagination and moral reasoning Animal dances based upon instinct vs. choreography Flexibility and adaptability of physical activity Anatomical advantages (bipedal gait, arm freedom, foot function) Dexterity of movement possible (opposable thumb, UE motions) Ability to improve performance through planned experience Improved CV function of lion due to survival instinct vs. desire to improve efficiency of heart & lungs

Factors Influencing Experiences Huge disconnect between what we know about benefits of physical activity and our behavior patterns Most of us perform skills at far below our capabilities due to lack of practice opportunities (choice, logistics, time, etc.) Influencing factors include Social environment Parents, peers, teachers, coaches Individual circumstances Geography, local physical activity culture, economic considerations, personal attributes

Social Environment People you interact with regularly can have significant effect on types and amounts of physical activity you pursue Parents Activity levels of children bear remarkable similarity to activity level of parents Showing support for physical activity pursuits can be helpful as well (transport to practices/games, buying equipment, etc.) Peers If friends are physically active, you are more likely to be as well Impact of technology significant for some Teachers and coaches Roles confirm or disconfirm individual’s competence with activity In essence are ‘gatekeepers’ to physical activity experiences

Individual Circumstances Geography Northern climates more likely to engage in skiing, skating, etc. while southern climates more likely to engage in golf and swimming Local cultural practices HS football in Texas, wrestling in Iowa, ethnic groups everywhere Economic considerations More affluent/educated tend to be more active than poor/uneducated, especially in equipment intensive sports Personal attributes We tend to involve ourselves in activities that we enjoy Impact of self-perceptions of competence and self-esteem

Changing Capacity to Perform Physical Activity Improvement in skill through practice resulting in learning Skill involves attempt to attain specific goal/s by execution of efficient, coordinated motor responses Practice is performance experience engaged in for the express purpose of refining motor control function to improve skill Learning represented by refinements in nervous system that result from practice Improvement in physical performance capacity through training exercise leading to conditioning Examples of physical performance capacities are strength, flexibility and cardiorespiratory endurance Training is physical activity experiences designed to improve those attributes Conditioning is evidenced by changes brought about in system/s via training

Practice vs. Training Practice produces effects of memory, cognition, perception and other central nervous system processes associated with problem-solving Requires deliberate effort and intention to modify performance Most important experience if intention is to develop skill Training produces effects that are largely peripheral to central nervous system (muscles, bones, cardiorespiratory system) Requires little in way of deliberate attention or problem-solving Most important experience if intention is to develop physical performance capacity Performing skills over and over again will undoubtedly lead to some degree of conditioning but mindlessly performing a skill over and over again is not likely to lead to learning

Performance Experience and Physical Fitness Physical fitness Physically fit person can perform essential activities of daily living at a high level, has sufficient energy remaining for active leisure lifestyle and can meet demands in unexpected events Motor performance fitness vs. health-related fitness Impact of hypokinetic diseases and how to address Measuring physical fitness Normative data exists for multiple populations/demographics Type of physical fitness Health-related fitness of interest to medical community Need/desire to focus on both elements of physical fitness across lifespans for population

Impact of Quality and Quantity of Physical Activity Experiences Improving skill or physical capacity is dependent upon ability to select appropriate practice and training experiences Principle of quality Experiences that engage us in most critical elements of activity are most likely to lead to increased capacity to perform activity Running for distance not likely to yield significant gains in weight lifting – SAID principle Principle of quantity If all other factors equal, increasing frequency of doing critical components of activity will usually lead to increased capacity for performance of that activity Critical components identified via task analysis Point of diminishing returns (overtraining)

Identifying Components of Physical Activity Must identify quality of experience that will bring about improvement Much easier to do for veteran physical activity professionals and very difficult for entry-level individuals (framework required) If activity more toward practice end of continuum, experiences applied should be those likely to improve skill Goal is to identify critical aspects of performance that can be learned via carefully constructed practices If activity more toward physical capacity/conditioning end of continuum, focus will be on training experiences that promote conditioning appropriate for the activity

Critical Components of Physical Activity Determining skill components critical for learning Motor skill taxonomies are classification systems that categorize skills according to common critical elements Large vs. small movements, water vs. land, fast vs. slow Closed skills Predictable environment, movements consistent from trial to trial, coordinating movements with changing environment unnecessary, anticipation of external events unnecessary Open skills Environment unpredictable, movements vary from trial to trial, coordinating movements with changing environment essential, anticipation of external events essential

Critical Components of Physical Activity Determining practice experience critical for improving skills Skills nearer to closed end of continuum best practiced in situations where environment is structured the same way on each trial Skills nearer to open end of continuum best practiced where environment structured in different ways on each trial to develop open technique that can adapt to variety of environmental stimuli Determining experiences appropriate for training Unlike skill, involve physical performance capacity elements such as muscular strength/endurance, flexibility, CV endurance Evaluate extent to which each performance capacity element contributes to desired activity (golf vs. marathon runner) Consultation with expert/s in field to determine best training methods

Heredity and Experience Abilities as building blocks for experiences Genetic predispositions that offer advantages/disadvantages to particular activities are called abilities Individuals with greater amounts of unique abilities possess more potential for success in that activity than others without abilities Interaction of experiences and abilities Abilities are foundations upon which we build experiences Those with greater abilities required in activity have potential for higher achievement but will not realize potential unless they capitalize on opportunities for improving performance via practice and training Some fall short of potential despite unique abilities (underachievers) Some exceed potential despite lacking abilities (overachievers)