Physical Activity and Health Through Physical Education

Physical education (PE) is an academic subject that provides the opportunity for students to learn the knowledge and skills needed to establish and maintain physically active lifestyles throughout their lifetime. Unequivocally, PE play a crucial role in augmenting physical activity (PA) daily levels, which are linked to a myriad of health benefits. One of the aims of this chapter is to provide an overview of findings from systematic reviews and meta-analyses that have explored PE’s influence on youth health, highlighting its impact on physical fitness, academic performance, cognition, and obesity-related factors within the educational framework. Despite the necessity of additional research, PE via PA programs has revealed improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and academic outcomes and has shown a positive effect on obesity-related factors. The chapter emphasizes that PE offer unique opportunities for enhancing health in the school environment, which are not offered by other academic subjects. The chapter concludes by highlighting the necessity for ongoing research to better understand and advocate for PE’s importance in both public health and educational contexts.