Sports- for- all as a means to improve living standards

Abstract

This paper focuses on the importance of physical fitness through physical activity, which includes sport. It highlights the impact of industrial revolution as one of the main factors that has contributed to sedentary life style and environmental pollution. Studies linking better living standards with regular physical activities and those stressing the link between physical fitness and mental alertness have been highlighted. In this paper sports-for-all, must be seen as a fundamental right to every individual in the society ranging from the young to the old, a view which must include the less fortunate members of our society who are either physically or mentally handicapped. In addition, Sports-for-all is seen as the most logical approach in efforts to avert crisis emanating from lack of physical activity that include drug dependency and juvenile delinquency most of which occur as a result of idleness and lack of socially acceptable avenues of releasing tension and stresses. Human resource development must be given priority consideration in economic development in every country and hence the importance of sports-for-all in the process of nation building cannot be over emphasised.