Fit for Everyone: Transforming how we think about young people and fitness

Today is the 13th annual National Fitness Day (NFD) in the UK. Fitness and Health continue to be high on the public agenda in the UK and around the world. The new Labour government prioritised preventative measures as one of the three pillars to reform the NHS. Whilst only yesterday the IPPR published the final section of its report on the nation's health, aptly named Our Greatest Asset. The title rings true for an individual as much as a nation.

In this short piece I will share some thoughts about how we might work towards a healthier population with particular reference to children and young people. 

Are awareness days like NFD effective? Results appear to be mixed. They certainly focus attention and can temporarily raise the profile. No doubt that this will be one of hundreds of pieces written around the issue. Are they effective in supporting people to manage better health outcomes - probably not. Evaluation is particularly limited and the intention of the organisers, UK Active, is probably leaning much more towards the awareness creating/PR outcomes and shaping policy. After all, improving health is particularly complex and even the most optimistic health evangelist would not think this could be achieved by having the issue front and centre on media outlets and social media feeds. 

Indeed the fact that it’s the 13th annual such day and the IPPR report suggests the health landscape is worsening indicates that cultural and systemic changes are much needed.

As an experienced physical educator, I’m more equipped to comment on language and messaging. National FITNESS day. 

How do young people make sense of fitness? It’s not a neutral term. It carries meaning. Bodies carry meaning. A fit person is all too often associated with a lean, muscular, ‘ideal’ body. That body in itself carries meaning about the person and is associated with aspiration, achievement, resilience and discipline. Fitness is often used as a synonym for Health. One thing we can agree is that fitness is a likely outcome of being active.

So what does it take to support young people improving their fitness? Being fit means being able to carry out various tasks without undue fatigue or worse, injury. So a key question is what are the demands that various tasks make on the body? Being fit for life depends on what sort of life is led, what preferences we have, what resources we have available including support networks, what work we currently do or might do in the future etc. These are all questions that young people need to be equipped to be able to figure out for themselves by the time they leave school. 

Personally, I think it would be healthier to rebrand as National Physical Activity Day. There is a World Day for Physical Activity and it may well be that the clash of branding explains why UK Active sticks with NFD. Nevertheless, we can all probably agree that being physically active is an important prerequisite to being fit and (probably) leading a healthy life. 

These are my top 4 challenges to people working in the field, in particular teachers and coaches.

1. Support every young person form a positive relationship with physical activity

This is the result of safe, positive experiences not being bombarded with ‘health messages’ about reducing the risk of NCDs in later life. Feelings and emotions trump science and rationality everyday of the week, especially when you're 12. ‘Safety’ in the previous sentence refers to both physical and emotional safety with the latter only achieved if we create genuinely inclusive spaces in which everybody is valued. 

2. Being active is being successful

Success in sport and fitness is all too often defined in competitive terms and as the old maxim says, comparison is the thief of joy. Competition is great for some kids if and when they are fully prepared to find meaning in it. Most adults do not take part in competitive activities. When we go swimming the only thing we share with people like Adam Peaty is that we get wet. We don’t come to the poolside wearing a puffer jacket and large earphones. For many, getting to the pool in the first place is a win when you only have 45 minutes before picking up the kids, finishing work tasks and keeping on top of household chores. Why then do we define success in youth swimming as those who are swimming faster than others? How about those who learn to find joy in the water and therefore are much more likely to go more frequently even when they are that 30 something mum with a busy schedule.

3. Develop relevant and relatable competencies

Kids need to be able to have the movement skills to meet the demands of an activity in the way they desire to engage. Why do you need to tumble-turn into dolphin kick underwater or start off the blocks if you love swimming easy laps or playing games to collect objects off the bottom of the pool? We can easily alienate youngsters by assuming that they all wish to engage in activities for performance which only reinforces a sense of disbelonging. Nor is it either/or. It’s fluid. More young people finding a sense of joy and belonging will probably lead to more of them wanting to engage in performance focussed activity, but perhaps more importantly, it will lead to better physical and mental health. Incidentally, performance sport in itself is no panacea. Physical and mental harm is prevalent and well documented and often leads to avoidance of all physical activity.

4. Recognise and celebrate all the above to build better relationships

Schools and clubs have been celebrating sporting achievements in the competitive arena for decades. Who benefits from this? The institution may well have its reputation enhanced. The superstar young athletes might benefit from enhanced status but creating identities tied to athletic prowess is high risk. The work of Dweck and Côté amongst many others, illustrates the peril associated with being ‘in it to win it’. Progression is far from linear and the pitfalls can be deeply damaging. It’s time we moved on. We need to see and hear every young person and ensure that they are equipped to manage their own physical activity journey that never terminates but certainly arrives at a place where physical activity is a normal and regular part of their lived experiences and one that makes their lives better in ways that they determine. 

About miMove

Our mission at miMove is to help every young person build and sustain a positive relationship with physical activity. From the highly active to those struggling to connect with physical activity, all young people can develop a healthy relationship with their bodies, spaces where they move, and other people in those spaces. By providing a platform that allows for the journaling, sharing, and understanding of physical activity, we are collecting powerful datasets that support educators and a range of other stakeholders in creating environments where every young person can thrive physically and emotionally.

Our vision is a world where every young person, regardless of background, has the opportunity and support to engage with physical activity so their lives are better. We strive to revolutionise global youth engagement in physical activity through innovative technology, data-driven insights, and a commitment to inclusivity. By harnessing the power of miMove, we envision a future where young people are not only more physically active but also more connected, confident, and capable of leading healthier lives.

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