Essay Sample on Socio-Psychological Effects of Physical Activity

Introduction

Physical activities post health benefits to the athletes and anyone who engage in regular exercise. Importance of physical activities on health and overall physical wellness has dominated scholarly articles and public campaigns. Moreover, physical activities have both social and psychological effects on athletes. Physical activities have both negative and positive effects on the lives of an individual. Therefore, the aim of the study is to find out the effects of physical activity on a person's socio-psychological.

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Physical activity reduces depression and anxiety. Exercise improves the blood circulation in the body. Improved blood flow enhances blood hormones and raises the levels of other important substances such as dopamine and serotonin. According to Rosenbaum et al (2015) serotonin works with endorphins to give the body a calming effect. Therefore, most scholars refer to regular exercise as a tranquilizer. Exercise minimizes the tensions of the muscles. From an empirical research, half an hour of exercise is commensurate to a medication dosage of meprobamate. The mechanism through which exercise minimizes muscle tension is by the central nervous system. Medical experts refer to this condition as a corticospinal effect (Rosenbaum et al., 2015). During the interview, the athlete confirmed that sportsmen too become stressed up. According to him, vigorous physical activities that involve going around the track relieve the stress. Additionally, anxiety is frequent in sports especially when either a tough or unpredictable competition awaits. In such moments exercise becomes the only too to heal the situation. Physical activities also reduce anxiety. From empirical research, the study showed that ten weeks of half an hour session every day makes a college student more active psychologically (Berlin, Kruger, & Klenosky,2018).

Physical activities make an athlete feel better. After a training session, an athlete would have a peaceful sleep with a relaxed mind. Psychiatrists usually recommend enough physical activity to those who experience sleep disorders. Consequently, the overall feeling of an individual is driven by either his or her emotional peace. The endorphins, chemical responsible for mood-boosting is also linked to concentration enhancement (Rosenbaum et al., 2015). This biological chemical is maximized by exercise. From the interview, the athlete argued that normally, when the game begins the concentration is normally low, however, as the game progressed the concentration maximizes (Berlin, Kruger, & Klenosky, 2018). An individual's physical appearance is part of feeling better. Those who take part in sports fit their clothing more perfectly than non-athletes. When one is properly groomed he or she feels great socially.

Additionally, enough exercise contributes to the social wellness of a person. Prolific footballers and athletes are icons of society. The state, the class and the societal expectation that come with such status is unmatched. The personal life of world stars are monitored by the media keenly, therefore, an athlete is usually not in psychological peace with both his actions and conversations. A new social class and status emerge with active physical activity. Through exercise and active sporting, the social network of an athlete is expanded. Through active sporting one becomes an international figure fostering relationships across the world. Moreover, the relationship of the athlete with the rest of the society changes (Downs, Hoomissen, Lafrenz,& Julka, 2014). Actions and personal life is an issue of societal importance. According to the interviewed athlete, the societal expectation and monitoring of personal life not only affect the choice of a spouse but also eating habit. The lifestyle changes completely for active athletes.

According to Kane (2015), self-esteem and character development are shaped through physical activities. Through physical exercises, the ability of an individual to progress through personal talents and competence is unmasked. Successful moments full of glory and applause are frequent following victories in physical activities. Such glory and respects accorded to an athlete help boost their self-esteem. The confidence on one's ability increases and admiration of individual capability gives rise to self-appreciation. The interviewed athlete confirmed that his confidence in himself has tremendously increased following recognitions obtained from the society and family members. Notably, physical activities have rules and codes of conduct that govern them. During training, certain athletic activities demand the military discipline, through such discipline installation, the character is nurtured. Consequently, character development arises from societal expectations.

Learning disorders and behavioral dysfunctions can be addressed through physical activities. Autism and ADHD can be addressed effectively through regular exercise. Jogging session that is executed through a twenty-two-week program minimizes the urge of stimulant medication in adolescents with ADHD (McCoy, Jakicic, & Gibbs, 2016). In children with autism, physical activities reduce self-stimulatory behaviors. In contrary social dysfunction of autism, victims are not enhanced through physical activities.

However, physical activities also have negative impacts on the socio-psychological aspect of an athlete's life. Competitive physical activities may lead to increased stress and anxiety. When a sportsman is frequently involved in unaccomplished missions and unsuccessful trophy battles, this can be demeaning (Downs et al., 2014). Pressure from parents, friends, teachers, and coaches on the athlete to perform well can transition from mild stress to depression if not well looked into. Athletes who are involved in individual sporting activities such as ballet, wrestling, and boxing develop more stress than those individuals in team sports such football. Physical activities can also contribute to low self-esteem when the activities are attributed to self-worth, virtue and personal competence.

The interview was resourceful as it formed an empirical research. The interviewee showed a good mastery of the topic. The issues raised from theory studies were well explained with realistic examples and personal experience. The interviewee had grown up practicing sporting activities thus could relate the effects of physical activities to the socio-psychological development of different stages of human growth. The study was successful as it found out both the positive and negative effects of physical activities on socio-psychology of the athletes.

Reference

Berlin, K., Kruger, T., & Klenosky, D. B. (2018). A mixed-methods investigation of successful aging among older women engaged in sports-based versus exercise-based leisure time physical activities. Journal of women & aging, 30(1), 27-37.

Downs, A., Van Hoomissen, J., Lafrenz, A., & Julka, D. L. (2014). Accelerometer-measured versus self-reported physical activity in college students: Implications for research and practice. Journal of American College Health, 62(3), 204-212.

Kane, J. E. (2015). Psychological aspects of physical education and sport. Routledge.

McCoy, S. M., Jakicic, J. M., & Gibbs, B. B. (2016). Comparison of obesity, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and without. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 46(7), 2317-2326.

Rosenbaum, S., Vancampfort, D., Steel, Z., Newby, J., Ward, P. B., & Stubbs, B. (2015). Physical activity in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry research, 230(2), 130-136.