The Anatomy of Self-Esteem – Promoting Physical Fitness

Teachers talk a lot about self-esteem, but do they really understand how it is the cornerstone of health and positive behaviors?

A simple definition of self-esteem is having respect and positive regard for yourself.  Children learn to feel right about themselves from the loving attention of their mothers.  If a child basks in the love of the mother the connection between the orbitorfrontal brain and the body is established.   This connection makes it easier for a child to go within itself to feel what is right and to know how to go after it.  This also establishes a connection for empathy.  Without empathy self-esteem becomes self-centeredness and narcissism.

The first way children experience self-esteem is by feeling confident in their body through physical strength, endurance, and flexibility.   Schools can become the primary place to promote this physical poweress.  Unfortunately schools often tap into competitive sports as the measure of physical fitness.  This template sets up a compete and compare mentality that can contribute to failure and low self-esteem.  There is a wide range of sports abilities among children and a wide variation in the rate of development of these skills.  If every child is expected to conform to the same standard then it’s inevitable that some of them will fail. 

Malcolm Gladwell the author of “Outliners” writes about the phenomenon of relative age.  What he and others found is that the cut-off birth dates for participation in all sports was the predictor of success. 

This effect was first observed in Canadian professional hockey players.  Overwhelmingly most have birthdates in January.  Now this has nothing to do with astrology it simply means that in Canada the cut-off for eligibility to play hockey is January 1.   There is an enormous difference in size and ability between boys born in December and one born January 2. 

What happens is that this skewered age distribution favors certain birthdates.  Larger more coordinated players receive more attention and instruction than smaller less coordinated players.  Becoming proficient in sports is a product of a sort of natural selection because who gets to the top is not just the hardest seed but  the one given the most sunlight. 

This phenomenon is also seen in European professional soccer and in American college players.  Schools are victim of this same birth date cutoff because students are not learning with others of the same age and maturity levels.   This selection favors older students in every aspect of learning but is most obvious in physical fitness. 

If a school’s physical fitness class is structured and limited to playing sports than a large number of students will never experience the power of their own body.  The school’s approach and attitude toward fitness must recognize the connection between the mind and the body. 

The best way to do this is make the school a “fit” environment.  Fitness becomes part of every day, not just during gym class.  Walking, stretching, moving are essential to create flexibility and strength and should be incorporated into all aspects of the school day.  As children work through their day they gain energy and appreciation of their own healthy bodies. 

Yoga, Pilates, aerobics, dance, or movement to music can help all students regardless of natural ability achieve fitness.  And this  is accomplished without competition and without fear of failure. 

Self-esteem is an inside job, but schools are a part of the proving ground to promote it.   If children are comfortable in their own skin developing social skills and self-discipline will be easier.

Physical fitness is the first requisite to happiness; the ability to feel strong and capable in your own body is an essential element for feeling safe and secure in the world.  Of all the lifetime factors that have been studied physical fitness is the  most accurate predictor of longevity and health.