The Ways That Physical Activity Can Contribute to Physical, Psychological and Social Improvements in Health and Wellbeing

Within this essay I have demonstrated a clear understanding of the ways that physical activity can contribute to physical, psychological and social improvements in health and wellbeing.   According to World Health Organisation, WHO, Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure, (WHO, 2015). There are various concepts on health and wellbeing and remains a complex subject but according to Claude Bouchard,
Health is a human condition with physical, psychological, social dimensions, each characterized on a continuum with positive and negative poles. Positive health is associated with capacity to enjoy life and withstand challenges; it is not merely the absence of disease. (Bouchard, 1990).
Wellbeing is often described as a sense of good feeling and functioning well, this includes having a fair share of material recourses, influence and control, sense of meaning, belonging and connection with people and the capability to manage problems and change. (Wellbeingenterprises.org.uk, 2015)

    The human body has been designed for physical activity. During the stone age, physical activity was required for survival but technological advances have lowered the need for hard physical labor. As activity levels have fallen, it has become clear that physically inactive lifestyle can lead to health issues. Being physically active plays a fundamental role in ensuring health and wellbeing, and there is a sufficient amount of research investigating the benefits of exercise. Physical activity can benefit many parts of the body for example the cardiovascular system, immune system and skeletal system. There has been evidence to suggest that regular physical activity can lower the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply the heart with oxygen rich blood (Nhlbi.nih.gov, 2015). It has been suggested that Physical activity causes...