Introduction
Physical exercise or activity involves any body movement that involves the use of skeletal muscles and energy to produce bodily movements. These physical exercises may include activities such as cycling, walking, dancing, swimming, rope skipping, running, and performing gymnastics-just to mention but a few. These types of bodily activities are known to maintain and enhance overall wellness or health and physical fitness. People engage in physical activities for varying reasons.
The reasons for engaging in physical activities may include weight control or reduction, developing athletic skills, enjoyment, strengthening the cardiovascular system and muscles. Regular and frequent physical activities have significant beneficial effects on the health of people that engage in these activities-both mentally and physically. Regular and frequent exercises also boost the capacity of the immune system and helps prevent occurrence of “health problems of affluence” which may include obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type two diabetes and heart diseases, osteoporosis-just to mention but a few.
Physical activities also prevent stress and depression. Thus promoting better mental health and maintaining a positive self-esteem. Physical exercises promote a good physical, bodily image which is again linked to higher self esteem because of its appeal to many. This is the opposite with obese people, who may frequently experience a low self esteem due to their bodily appearance that may not appeal to many and as a result may attract ridicule. According to WHO (2010), every healthy person should at least engage in 30 minutes of physical activities on a daily basis. Though the period of exercise and intervals may vary according to the purpose of exercising-for example more activities/exercises and longer periods may be required for weight control than is necessary for fitness maintenance.
Childhood obesity has grown to levels of concern, especially, in developed and developing nations and most of the cases occur in the teenage age group. This growing global concern has led to inquisition on factors that affect teenagers’ or adolescents’ engagement in physical activities as a way to develop solutions for this problem. This paper highlights these concerns in relation to male adolescents’ engagement in physical activities and what affects their engagement in exercising.
Globally, and more especially in the developed nations there is a general shift towards work that less demanding physically. This has been coupled with an increase in the use of transportation that is mechanized, recreational pursuits that are least active and an increase of technology that is labor saving within homes. This has greatly influenced the exercise pattern for male adolescents. According to Aaron et al (2002) the male adolescents’ engagement in physical activity starts to decline as they go into adolescence.
In earlier years male children yet to reach adolescence years tend to prefer outdoor physical activities conducted in partnership with friends and peers at school and in the neighborhoods. However, as these young boys go into adolescence their engagement in outdoor social and physical activities tend to reduce, and they take on simpler and less physically tasking activities such as playing surfing the net, playing video games, listening to music as well as watching movies and television (Biddle & Smith, 2008).
Many at times adolescent males may totally cease participation in activities that require physical exertion, unless when compelled within their academic institutions to engage in physical activities during designated times such as after school game sessions. According to Frenn et al. (2005), approximately half of American teenagers aged 12-21 years of age do not completely participate in any physical activities of a vigorous nature on a regular basis. Gardyn (2003), states that on an average an American male adolescent spends 28 hours within a week undertaking tasks that need no exertion physically; such as surfing the net, talking on the phone, watching movies, playing video games and listening to music.
These patterns of lifestyle characterized with little to no physical exercise or engagement in jobs that require physical exertion among the male adolescents has brought about an alarming trend in relation to health of the male teen population. According to Styne (2001), there has been an increase in the number of obese and overweight male adolescents in America, with prevalence of U.S overweight adolescents doubling in the decade preceding 2001. The typical exercise pattern for male adolescents in America includes the imposed physical exercise programs within schools in sessions after classes, and little to no exercise for adolescents that engage in none physically exerting jobs and leisure time.
This pattern is prevalent because most parents do not sensitize their children on the need to exercise. The parents also do not take initiatives to set up an exercise program for their teenage males after school or at least any physically engaging jobs. This lack of emphasis on exercising by parents may be attributed to the lack of awareness on the benefits of physical activities as well as lack of community initiatives to sensitize the adolescents, parents and the general community on the essence of engaging in physical activities. There is also a general lack of communally designed physical exercising plans and projects to facilitate the same.
The key to comprehensively engaging male adolescents in physical activities lies in first sensitizing the adolescents and their parents on the benefits of engaging in physical exercises. This should later be taken a step further by designing community programs and facilities that can actively engage the youth in physical activities. Adolescence in males occurs between age 12 to 18, and during this period their bodies experience a lot of bodily changes as well as emotional changes. As the adolescents mature and develop it is of importance that they should perform a healthy amount of physical activities. Unfortunately, a large number of male adolescents do not perform adequate physical activities, and thus they do not benefit from numerous advantages of engaging in regular and frequent exercising.
The health benefits that male adolescents may get from regular and frequent physical exercise at this age are numerous. These benefits may include strengthening of the lungs and hearts, this in turn; increases endurance and strength of the participant. Lungs are known to expand in capacity with regular exercise as exemplified by athletes whose lung capacity is higher compared to people that do not partake in regular exercising. The strength of the heart and its capability to pump also increases significantly with regular and frequent exercise (Alpert & Jack, 1994). The immune system is also boosted as a person exercises frequently and regularly, thus the male adolescents may be able to avoid minor infections and afford quick recovery in cases of injury and sickness if they regularly exercise. Regular and well timed physical activities also help maintain weight that is healthy.
Obesity and the occurrence of overweight cases amongst male adolescents may be pointed out as the main cause of certain health conditions such as type two diabetes, heart diseases, depression-just to mention but a few. Out of the health realms, obesity and the overweight conditions may present social issues such as low self-esteem based on bodily shape and appearance and the lack of appeal that it elicits in most people leading to ridicule and avoidance by peers. Male adolescents at this age have learned the appeal of a shapely body as defined by standards of society, therefore obese adolescents are bound to feel wanting because of their overweight nature. This in turn, lowers their self-esteem (Biddle & Smith, 2008).
This may also lead to further mental problems such as stress and depression, these may make any adolescent appear withdrawn, and as a result, fail to socialize and develop his social life in an appropriate manner. Therefore, lack of regular and frequent exercises may deny an adolescent male a good bodily shape and health benefits that come with it, and as a result lead to the above mentioned problems both in his health and social life. However, it is good to note that with a good program of exercise, all these negative effects of inactivity can be avoided. In the academic set up it has also been observed that adolescents that exercise regularly are more alert and healthier in look and feeling.
Physical exercises have also proved to be beneficial for adolescents, because they change the body composition by reducing fats that get burned up while exercising and increase the ration of muscles to fat. This is essential because fats present health problems such as obesity, which in turn is the cause of other subsequent health problems. Physical activities amongst male adolescents may also help male adolescents that are obese to cut their weight for healthier living. Three thousand, five hundred calories is equal to one pound of weight, and thus; exercises that can lead to the expending of this much calories, will in turn lead to the lose of the related weight if the eating capacity does not equally compensate the energy consumption.
Therefore, it is also important for obese adolescents trying to watch their weight to do it in a two faceted manner-from the diet and exercise perspective. Apart from the physical benefits of exercise on the body’s health there are also other benefits which may be classed as social in nature. Partaking in physical activities by male adolescents not only builds their physique and health, but it also helps them to attain personal development and growth within social circles. During the group engagements in such activities male adolescents may develop personal responsibility, leadership, initiative and cooperation skills all of which are positive attributes that may be ascribed to regular participation in group physical exercises. This engagement may also help them develop their social life, socialization skills, positive personalities as well as higher self-esteem.
It has been observed that male adolescents who regularly engage in physical activities score high in positive personality assessment of traits as well as social acceptance in comparison to those that do not regularly exercise (Calfas & Wendell, 1994). Regular and frequent engagement in physical activities is also beneficial to male adolescents, because they are likely to transfer these similar exercising patterns into their adulthood. This may be greatly beneficial because it will ensure their health is well maintained into adulthood and old age. Thus a well cultivated culture to exercise mostly begins at adolescence or teenage and fostered to grow and continue into adulthood. Failure to be active in physical activity during adolescence by most males translates to a similar in-activity during their adulthood.
Engagement in exercise by adolescents also confers other greater benefits such as avoidance of substance abuse and engagement into pre-marital sex. In adolescence most male students begin to grow and mature sexually, their development of emotions and feelings towards the opposite sex may at times lead to sexual encounters that are furthered by curiosity that characterizes this age. This in turn, may lead to pre-marital sex and unwanted pregnancies which results to high school drop outs. The curiosity and peer pressure amongst male adolescents, often leads to substance abuse during the adolescence years. Notably, most drug users and one time users confess to having had their first experimental try on substances during their adolescence period. The fact that male adolescents find themselves idle may lead them to engage in such harmful acts, hence the saying ‘an empty mind is the devil’s workshop’. Active engagement of male adolescents in physical activity programs may help greatly in reducing if not stopping such occurrences.
Participation in physical activities is mostly a voluntary act, and it is more effective that it remains so, in order work effectively because it will include enjoyment. Many at times, there are many adolescents that may be willing to participate in physical activities such as sporting events. However, they may be hindered by various factors that do not allow them to exercise their will. The first hindrance is usually the availability of sporting facilities of equipments that can be used in engaging these physical activities. There are numerous neighborhoods that totally lack sporting facilities and equipments, and as a result male adolescents in these neighborhoods may be totally unable to participate in sporting activities or physical activities of any nature (Popkin et al, 2000).
The lack of variety may also be another problem. Adolescents may be wishing to engage in some activities that are beyond their reach, and thus they are forced to engage in activities that they do not desire and as a result they end up doing them in a manner that is not satisfactory and helpful to their own well being. Though not greatly significant, the lack of specialized trainers and coaches couples with lack of facilities that can assist these male adolescents in nurturing their physical skills and engagement in physical activities. The vices of drug abuse and engagements in pre-marital relationships can also be cited as common barriers to regular and frequent participation in physical activities.
The engagement in substance abuse such as alcohol and other hard drugs is most prevalent with male adolescents, and most of them are unable to participate in physical activities after using these substances (Popkin et al, 2000). The development of such habits may have resulted from lack of engagement in physical activities and their hindrance serves to further the habit of in-activity amongst most male adolescents. Time constraint is also cited in most institutions as a contributing hindrance to engagement in physical activities. Students at times are assigned a lot of class work and assignments that they should conduct in their free times. As a result, most of them end up using their free time in doing their home work, and as a result miss out from physical activity programs scheduled for their free time (Ehrnwald et al, 1989).
The lack of parents’ appreciation and encouragement may also serve as a barrier towards the participation of adolescents in physical activities. Some parents tend to value more academic work in comparison to engagement in physical activities, and as a result encourage their children to study more than they should engage in physical activities. This is an important aspect to consider in overcoming the current problem of in-activity and obesity amongst male adolescents (Biddle & Smith, 2008). Parents spend more free time with their male adolescent children compared to the teachers and any other stakeholders within other educational and religious institutions. As such they should be the ones mandated with the onus of initiating a culture of engaging in physical activities more than any other person that their male adolescent children engage with in their life.
Though not significant, other minor hindrances to engagement in physical activities may also be cited, and these may include unsuitable weather and lack of desire and interest in sporting and other physical activities. The weather problem may easily be overcome through design and establishment of indoor facilities that can facilitate engagement in sports even in unfavorable weather. On the other hand, the lack of interest or desire may be overcome as a hindrance, through sensitization programs meant to enlighten and encourage the male adolescents to engage in physical activities after being taught about the benefits.
The development of a clear plan to help male adolescent to effectively participate in physical activities lies trying to understand why they engage in sports as well as why some of them choose not to engage in physical activities. After understanding these two factors clearly, a program can then be developed that can be used to engage more of the dormant male adolescents into physical activities (Biddle & Smith, 2008). The determinants of male adolescents’ physical activities may be classified into two-those that hinder their participation and those that encourage their participation.
The factors that hinder their participation in physical activities are similar to those stated earlier-lack of time due to academic engagements, substance abuse, engagement in opposite sex relationships, lack of facilities and equipments, lack of encouragement and appreciation from parents, unfavorable weather, and a general lack of interest and desire. All these can be cited as reasons why the male adolescents do not exercise through participation in physical activities (Ehrnwald et al, 1989). On the other hand, it is prudent to find out the factors that drive male adolescents towards the participation in physical activities. The desire to emulate successful sportsmen and be like them may be cited as one such factor that may encourage male adolescents to engage in physical activities.
As such, the parents and teachers should be encouraged to expose adolescents to sports personalities so as to encourage their participation in physical activity. At times the participation in physical activities is merely driven by peer pressure, because this is the time that it is most influential. Some adolescents may be thrilled by the participation of their peers in sports, and in turn they may wish to partake too. The good and appreciated physique of sportsmanship is also desirable among most male adolescents, and as such some may go into physical activities as a means to achieve this goal.
Conclusion
The engagement of male adolescents in physical activities has major benefits in improving and maintaining their physical and mental health states. It also helps in building their social skills and other life skills. Additionally, it offers them an opportunity to interact and develop their self-esteem. These are all desirable qualities that can be attained through the engagement of adolescents in physical activities. However, this has not been realized due to hindrances such as lack of facilities, equipment and trainers amongst many other hindrances stated within the paper.
The importance of sporting and engagement in physical activities cannot be under-scored, keeping in mind that obesity is on the rise in America as well as the related diseases that come with in-activity and obesity. Therefore, parents and other stakeholders in society are encouraged to learn the factors that hinder engagement in physical activities with the aim of overcoming them so as to encourage participation of male adolescents in order to avoid vices such as substance abuse and pre-marital sex. Additionally, they are encouraged to learn the factors that foster the desire to engage in physical activities with the aim of cultivating these factors so as to encourage sporting and participation in physical activities by male adolescents for the sake of a healthy future generation.
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