Activities for Physical Development

Physical development is the way that the body adjusts and grows throughout the living years, particularly childhood and adolescents. It can also involve reshaping the body for specific needs such as recovering from physical trauma. Regardless of the reason, physical development can happen through cardiovascular exercise, resistance training or physical play.

Cardio Exercise

• Cardiovascular exercise helps with physical development. Cardio exercises involve getting your heart rate up and providing additional blood circulation. Children benefit because oxygen and nutrients travel faster through the body. Increased cardio activity also strengthens veins and arteries that can become weakened from poor diet or lifestyle habits like smoking. If you are obese and have not had any cardio activity in awhile, consider starting off with a 20 minute walk, slowly increasing your pace as time passes. Aerobics exercises like step classes or Tae Bo can also increase the heart rate. Children's cardio activity can come from dancing to music or playing games like Musical Chairs or Tag.

Resistance Training

• If your goal is to strengthen unused or damaged muscles, resistance training could be your answer. Resistance training involves forcing your muscle groups to extend or contract under pressure. The more weight resistance, the harder the muscles must push. For beginning lifters, universal machines or fitness balls can provide lighter yet efficient resistance. To build bulkier muscles, consider lifting heavy dumbbells or free weights with fewer repetitions. Physical development happens when muscle fibers tear and then, with the aid of nutrients like protein, rebuild into stronger, bigger fibers; thus increasing body size. It is advised not to work out major muscle groups two days in a row. Doing so will not allow muscle recovery and can cause injury from muscle failure.

Physical Play

• Physical play is also good for physical development, especially with children. Whether they are team sports or jungle gym activities, physical play can combine cardio and resistance training in a passive manner. Playing a pickup basketball game involves short bursts of cardio when running up and down the court as well as resistance training when "posting up" against defenders or dribbling. Climbing on a jungle gym can utilize resistance training for the arms and legs and development of quick-twitch muscles while jumping from obstacle to obstacle.