PHYSICAL FITNESS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 28 February 1939, Page 2

PHYSICAL FITNESS

(To The Editorl Sir, —Even among those people who are particularly interested in physical training for its own sake, there is but a vague notion of the causes which have succeeded in popularising physical fitness generally. Briefly, the whole thing is an offshoot from activties fostered for more than a century past and brought to the notice of the world in a somewhat sensational manner by the League of Nations. In November, 1935, the League appealed to the governments of the world to set up urgently needed national nutrition committees, in the interests of the health and fitness of the human race. With a view to the establishment of true health-insurance (that is, the prevention or the earliest possible treatment of every known form of physical and mental disability), early in 1936 the League asked the governmnets of the world to supplement the work of their nutrition committees by setting up national housing committees, to investigate the existing deficiencies in housng. These two recommendations wex-e of coui-se at once complied with on the part of the more enlightened nations of the world. Finally, in November, 1C37, the complete scheme appeared in outline by a strong appeal by the League that national committees also be instituted to enquire into the people’s reeds in respect of physical education. The League further recommended that the national committees appointed to look into physical education requirements shou! f work in conjunction with the earlier national committees on the people’s needs in nutrition and housing, end which were at that time (1937) presumed to be at work in each civilised country. Since May. 1937, the League of Nations’ Health Committee has had an international Group of Experts in physical education working intensively on this important problem. To date their unanimous findings are to the effect that 1. The physiological basis of rational physical education must necessarily include improved methods of bodily measurements.

2. Physical exercise should always be taken in moderation, should be spread

over the whole week, and should not be competitive—the aim being not to produce “champions” bu l . to raise the standard of health and fitness of the whole community. 3. Physical education should be undertaken only under medical supervision. 4. The relation between intellectual development and physical development must be kept urgently in view. 5. Most important of all, physical education cannot possibly be developed independently, but must be carried out in association with nutrition, i.e., the consumption, assimilation and eliminaton of food, together wit’ adequate rest, sleep and exercise, fresh air and pure water. 6. As there are many aspects of the problem of physical and mental fitness—social, economic, educational, medical, psychological, endocrinological, recreational, vocational, biological, physiological, etc.—each co-ordinated national fitness committee should include repretensatives of the various sciences concerned. How far New Zealand is lagging behind the times is therefore plain to the most superficial of observer.—We are etc., THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELFARE SOCIETY. Onehunga, 25th February. (