Anja Mayr
Jessica Pisano
Lang 120
21 March 2014
The
Benefits of Physical Activity
In 3rd-
5th grade I was in an after school program called Girls On The Run. In this program I not only learned how to
run, but also how to eat healthy, deal with bullies, go against peer pressure,
and so much more. Through these life
lessons and running, I gained confidence in myself that I feel I could only
have found through this program. My wish
is that every young girl dealing with the societal pressures of being a “pre-teen”
could have the opportunity to participate in a program like this and grow from
and gain confidence in herself.
Unfortunately, Girls On The Run
is not offered everywhere, though the organization is continually growing. As
the program grows, more and more young girls are able to experience positive
effects of both the running and learning aspects of Girls on the Run. Preadolescent
girls develop self-esteem and a more positive physical self-concept. These lessons are invaluable lessons they will
use throughout their lives.
Merriam-Webster
Dictionary defines self-esteem as, “a feeling of having respect for yourself
and your abilities.” I asked the girls I
work with in Girls On The Run what
self-esteem means to them. One of the girls
said, “Self-esteem is like feeling good and happy about yourself.” I then asked
her if she felt like Girls On The Run
helped her self-esteem, she said, “Yeah, I think so…I’m not afraid to run in
front of my friends anymore and I look good the way I am because everybody
looks different.” Self-esteem is a vital
part of pre-teens’ daily lives because self-esteem constantly effects how
adolescents make decisions, take care of themselves, persevere during difficult
times, and stay motivated (Oswalt 1). Having
higher self-esteem not only has mental health benefits, but also physical
health benefits. Studies have shown that
because higher self-esteem pushes people away from negative influences that can
negatively affect one’s health, high self-esteem can also have physical health
benefits (Veseleska 2).
A
longitudinal study done at Clemson University looked at the links between
physical activity and self-esteem in girls during their early adolescence. The participants were 197 non-Hispanic
Caucasian females. The girls in the experiment were assessed on their physical
activity levels and self-esteem at the ages of nine, eleven, and thirteen years
old (Schmalz 2). The study’s findings
support the theory that participation in physical activity can help improve
adolescent girl’s self-esteem later in life. Physical activity was found to
have the most impact on girls when they were younger or if the girls who had a
greater risk of becoming overweight. When girls were more physically active
between the ages of nine and eleven, the likelihood of having high self-esteem
when they were in-between the ages of eleven and thirteen is greatly increased
(Schmalz 6).
Physical
activity does not only help build self-esteem, but also prevents depression. A study was conducted at the University of
Tartu on the relationship between physical activity and symptoms of depression
in adolescent girls. In the experiment
the researchers looked at 277 girls from an urban area and measured their
physical activity with a three-day physical activity recall and their
depressive symptoms with a questionnaire.
Both measurements were taken three times over three years; the two
measurements were taken at the same time.
The researchers found there to be a negative correlation between
physical activity and depressive symptoms, which means that the experimenters saw
depression symptoms decrease as physical activity, increased (Raudsepp1).
Another
effect on self-esteem and depression is socio-economic status. Unfortunately, studies have found that
adolescents of lower socio-economic status are more likely to have lower
self-esteem than those in middle and upper socio-economic statuses. “Socio-economic status and physical activity
among adolescents: The mediating role of self-esteem” was a study conducted at
PJ Safarik University. The study looked
at 3,649 elementary school students from Slovakia. These students were asked to complete the
Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale test and answer questions about how often they were
physically active as well as what socio-economic status their parents were in.
There was found to be a positive correlation between household income and
higher self-esteem, which means as the household income went up, so did the participant’s
self-esteem. There is also a strong
positive correlation between household income and physical activity. Though it cannot be proven, the study suggests
that because adolescents from lower income households have less opportunity to
participate in physical activities after school, they are less likely to have
high self-esteem and the lack of participation in physical activity after school
could be part of the reason why kids from lower socio-economic statuses
typically have lower self-esteem (Veselska 2).
Girls On the Run is a
non-profit organization and one of Girls
On the Run’s goals is to have Girls
On the Run programs reach students from all income levels. Girls
On the Run has a note-worthy scholarship program, so even girls who cannot
afford to pay for the program have the opportunity to participate in Girls On the Run (Barker 2).
Physical
activity, as encouraged in Girls on the
Run, not only improves self-esteem, but also self-concept. The difference
between self-esteem and self-concept is that self-esteem is one’s attitude
towards oneself and self-concept is the knowledge one has about oneself. There was a study done specifically on Girls On the Run, the organization I
volunteer with. The study looked at how Girls On the Run impacts self-concept
and fat attitudes toward young girls between the ages of eight to twelve years
old. The goal of this study was to prove
that Girls On The Run improves girl’s
global self-esteem, appearance, peer, physical, and running self- concepts, and
their attitudes towards fat. The experimenters tested 21 girls in the 12-week Girls on The Run program. There were no controlled variables, so the
study is not conclusive, but from what the researchers found, there is evidence
that Girls On The Run benefits girls'
physical and running self-concept, as well as a reduction in fear of fat in preadolescent
girls (Martin 2). These results must be viewed with the
knowledge that there are many factors that could have affected the results, but
from my experience with Girls On the Run,
I believe that if researchers had conducted a better study, the results would
lean in favor of Girls On the Run
having a positive effect on girls physical and running self-concept, a
reduction in fear of fat, as well as other positive self-concepts about
themselves. When I was in Girls On the
Run I found it gave me a great deal of self-confidence, boosted my
self-esteem, and encouraged me to have a more positive self-concept about my
body and my physical activities.
Molly Barker,
founder of Girls On the Run writes in
the, "Girls On The Run:
Coping With The Crisis Of Cultural Pressure”
Girls on the Run is
designed to celebrate the gifts of girlhood. The program provides preadolescent
girls with tools that will allow them to embrace these gifts as they enter
middle school, high school, and adulthood. Our culture is putting too much
pressure on girls and young women to conform. They are inundated by the media
and fashion industry message that being emaciated is chic. Young girls today are
caught in a cultural crisis. (Barker 1)
The Girls On the
Run program is a 50-lesson curriculum designed specifically for pre-teen
girls to challenge them, encourage them, improve their self-esteem, promote
physical wellbeing as well as emotional wellbeing, and to have fun! The girls’
goals at the end of the session are to run or walk the 5k that is held at the
end of each fall or spring session. Each
lesson consists of a lesson, warm-up, and work out. The lesson that is taught at the beginning of
the practice carries over into the warm-up and workouts, to emphasize the
objectives of the lesson. Molly Barker’s
goal in creating Girls On The Run was
to help girls avoid the “girl box.” The “girl box” is a box that adolescent
girls often times feel pressured to fit in, so they can fit in with their
peers. The pressure stems from the
social norms of our society. Barker cites a passage from Mary Pipher, PhD book Reviving Ophelia:
Something
dramatic happens to girls in early adolescence. Just as planes and ships
disappear mysteriously into the Bermuda Triangle, so do the selves of girls go
down in droves. They crash and burn in a social and developmental Bermuda
Triangle ... They lose their resiliency and optimism and become less curious
and less inclined to take risks. They lose their assertive, energetic, and
'tomboyish' personalities, and become more deferential, self-critical and
depressed... Adolescence is when girls experience social pressure to put aside
their authentic selves and to display only a small portion of their gifts.
(Barker 2)
Molly Barker’s goals through
these lessons are to help preteen girls not get trapped in the “Bermuda
triangle” when they become teenagers. Girls on the Run lessons are about
anything from body image, to being grateful, to eating healthy. In the article, “Girls on the Run: Coping
with the Crisis of Cultural Pressure” an
example of a typical lesson is provided.
In this lesson the girls learn about media and advertising and how that
can affect how someone looks at them, even though it is not a fair comparison.
The girls learn about how it is important to have a supportive community and
how many advertisements are unrealistic and negatively portraying women. The lesson is supported during the workout.
The girls write down a positive word that portrays a girl or women for each lap
they run (Barker 3). From my experience in Girls
On the Run, I believe that these lessons help girls stay out of the girl
box, I know they did for me. I am a shy
person in general. However, when I was
in elementary school and middle school, I hardly ever spoke, especially in
confrontational situations. One lesson
that has stuck with me to this day is the lesson when we learned how to tell
someone how we felt about what they were doing.
There was a script that we learned and I still use it to this day. It gave me the confidence to confront my
friends and my family and helped me express my feelings in a healthy way. The
saying is, “I feel…because…I would like for you to…”
Girls On the Run
is an amazing organization that I hope continues to grow throughout the country
and throughout the world. The lessons
that are taught during these sessions and the physical activity that is
encouraged changes young girls lives for the better. Girls
On the Run increases young girl’s self-esteem, physical and emotional self-concept,
and teaches girls lessons they will value forever. The confidence and self-esteem Girls On the Run gave me is still with
me today. That nine years later I still
remember and use the guide for
healthy communication, speaks to the power and potential of the program. While, “I feel…because…I would like for you to…”
is usually used in times of frustration, it can be used to express positive thoughts
as well. I will leave you with this: I
feel Girls On the Run is an
amazing organization that truly benefits girls for the better because
of the lessons that are taught, the physical activity that is encouraged, and
the self-esteem that is gained I would like for you to support Girls On the Run in any way you
can.
Work
Cited
Barker, Molly. "Girls On
The Run: Coping With The Crisis Of Cultural Pressure." Healthy Weight Journal
12.6 (1998): 89. Academic Search Complete.
Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
Martin,
Jeffrey J., et al. "The Impact Of ‘Girls On The Run’ On Self-Concept And
Fat Attitudes." Journal Of Clinical Sport Psychology 3.2
(2009): 127-138. PsycINFO. Web. 4
Mar. 2014.
Raudsepp,
Lennart, and Inga Neissaar. "Brief Report: Relationships Between Physical
Activity And Depressive Symptoms In Adolescent Girls." Journal Of Adolescence 35.5 (2012):
1399-1402. Academic Search Complete.
Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Schmalz, Dorothy L. “A Longitudinal
Assessment of the Links Between Physical
Activity and Self-Esteem in Early Adolescent Non-Hispanic
Females.” Journal of Adolescent Health 41.6
(2007) : 559-565. PsychINFO. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
Veselska,
Z., et al. "Socio-Economic Status And Physical Activity Among Adolescents:
The Mediating Role Of
Self-Esteem." Public Health
(Elsevier) 125.11 (2011): 763-768. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Mar.
2014.
