Activity

Activity
Physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle
The aim of the “Activity” strand is to promote lifelong healthy habits related to physical well-being. Pursuits may include individual and team sports, aerobic exercise, dance, outdoor recreation, fitness training, and any other form of physical exertion that purposefully contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Students are encouraged to participate at an appropriate level and on a regular basis to provide a genuine challenge and benefit.
Schools must support students whose circumstances or culture may determine participation in physically active experiences. Similarly, students with disabilities must be given opportunities to take part in this strand. All CAS students must satisfy the basic requirement of physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle as is appropriate for each student.
Students who regularly participate in suitable activity experiences are encouraged to develop and extend their participation. Students could expand personal goals, explore different training models to enhance their existing sport or become involved in a new sport. For dedicated student athletes, maintenance of a planned rigorous training programme is appropriate. Some national curriculums require students to participate in a physical education course. Participation in such courses may be considered activity if it meets the CAS guidelines
As with all CAS experiences, students reflect purposefully on their engagement with activity and may be guided to look for moments of personal significance or inspiration as a call for reflection.
Approaches to activity

There are many approaches to activity, such as:

• Ongoing activity: A student may already be engaged in activity as part of a school team or club, or through some other form of sustained physical exercise. Students may continue in this as part of their activity; however, they should set personal goals in keeping with the principles of CAS. Students can also be encouraged to further extend and develop their participation if appropriate.
• School-based activity: Students are encouraged to participate in meaningful activity that benefits their physical well-being. In school there may well be appropriate activity opportunities in which the student can engage. These activity experiences could, for example, be part of the school curriculums, a school sports club, or timetabled sports sessions. Students may elect to initiate a school-based activity such as basketball or tennis and engage other CAS students or any student within the school.
• Community-based activity: Participating in activity within the local community advances student awareness and understanding of interpersonal relationships, particularly if the activity experience involves members of the local community. However, single events of activity can lack depth and meaning. When possible, activity experiences best occur with a regularity that builds and sustains relationships while allowing the growth of physical well-being of the students. For example, rather than a single activity experience at a community-based fun run, students could be encouraged to join a community-based running club, a dance class, an aerobics class or an out-of-school sports group.
• Individual activity: Students may decide that they wish to engage in solitary activity experiences such as, for example, attending a gym, bicycling, roller-skating, swimming, or strength conditioning. Such activity experiences are of most benefit when they take place over an extended duration of time. Students can be encouraged to set personal goals and work towards these in a sustained and correctly applied manner. Risk assessment of such solitary activity experiences should be conducted with the student beforehand if applicable.