Sports Activities

Adolescence is a time of active growth of the entire organism and its global restructuring at all levels. Muscle tissue begins to increase in size, the skeleton strengthens and grows, various hormones are produced in the body that, when released into the blood, set a certain mood. It is during this period that it is especially important to channel this energy in the right direction - including through physical activity.

Physical exercise is not just a way to release excess energy. It is a path to self-discipline, willpower development, health strengthening, and even spiritual formation. A teenager who has learned to overcome difficulties in training will more easily cope with internal conflicts, experiences, and temptations.

Not every sport provides physical exercise, and some technical sports can pose particular danger to life. For example, as a teenager, I enrolled in a parachuting section. Before we were allowed to participate in this activity, we were taught theory for several weeks, the device of parachutes was explained to us and we were taught to fold them, we were told about safety techniques and were not given any physical exercise. And when this jump finally took place, the biggest load turned out to be carrying two parachutes on the shoulders to the plane and landing on both legs with further falling to the side due to high speed. After this, it was necessary to collect the opened parachute into a bag and carry it to the collection point.

Such sports release large amounts of adrenaline into the blood and give a certain self-confidence, but are very dangerous for life and have high mortality statistics.

Engaging in any sport carries many positive results in the upbringing of a teenager's personality, as it disciplines them, distracts them from bad habits, introduces them to the diversity of the world and relationships with people, teaches them not to fear physical exercise, and trains the will to achieve results.

There are also certain dangers in receiving professional injuries that can make a teenager disabled for life. For example, broken knees from falls or impacts, torn ligaments from unsuccessful movements, displacement of spinal discs from excessive load, all kinds of injuries and fractures from accidents or falls at high speed - all this is only a small part of the sad statistics. But despite many dangers, sport remains a sought-after activity at any age. Look at what attention the Olympic Games attract.

All sports can be divided into categories where you can quickly determine dangerous and not very dangerous ones. They are divided into individual and team sports, speed sports and those requiring endurance. These include:

• Technical

• Intellectual

• Power

• Martial arts and combat sports

• Game sports

• Extreme

• Seasonal

• Water sports

• With animal participation

• Mixed

• Traditional

When choosing and suggesting any sports activities to their child or enrolling them in a sports section, it is important for parents to remember that many sports carry a certain philosophy, conflict with the purity of God's truths, cause injuries to opponents, endow consciousness with a spirit of competition and desire to be a winner in competitions and better than others. Goal-setting itself and efforts to achieve it is good willpower training, but when this forms a cult of the body, causes competition, rivalry, or pride in one's achievements, it can become a trap for the soul.

The teenager's body should receive additional physical activity and even load on all types of muscles so that all growing parts of the body develop harmoniously, forming physical strength and disciplining willpower.

Not all parents are able to conduct individual sports activities with their child, but to occupy the active mind of a growing person, it is sometimes easier to give them a computer game or smartphone so they don't bother.

These gadgets can contribute to the production of certain hormones, but they do not form muscle mass and do not give beauty and endurance to the body.

The next factor to pay attention to is that sports activities should not distract consciousness from spiritual values and relationships with God. Christ can and should be invited to all your sports activities and exercises so that He protects from injuries, from arrogance and evil. These activities should not bring harm and injury to other people.

Any physical activity promotes the development of good blood circulation and should be accompanied by proper drinking and nutrition, with complete abstinence from harmful things and moderation in beneficial ones.

It is important that all training takes place in fresh air, with an abundance of sunlight, and does not cause stress to the body and nervous system. Reasonable alternation of physical exercise and rest gives the body strength and time for recovery and allocation of additional resources for further activity.

Sometimes, to achieve another record or do something beyond one's strength, a teenager needs to make superhuman efforts and overcome excessive loads - such things are destructive to health and are not needed in practical life. We were not created to prove to this world that we are better, stronger than others and can cause amazement. Is it worth subjecting your life and health to injuries or danger for someone else's "wow" or another like?

It is also important to remember the golden rules: "It's not the distance that exhausts, but the pace" and "Those who drop out of the race will never win, those who stay in the race will never lose."

Jesus's most beloved type of physical exercise was long-distance walking and mountain climbing. During these exercises, He received an abundance of sunlight and clean air. Now our possibilities are much broader, but brisk walking, especially after eating, remains the classic and safest type of physical exercise, thanks to which the whole body and many muscle groups receive proper nutrition and development.

It can also be noted that any types of exercises with one's own body without additional weight are a natural and safe type of sport. And the variety of exercises for strengthening and stretching muscles is amazing in its abundance.

Such things, principles, and rules do not arise in a teenager's head by themselves. It is more natural for them to see something in others, to imitate someone, to be like someone. Therefore, parents need to convey useful information about the benefits of physical exercise and the harm of big and traumatic sports before the world offers its knowledge and philosophy on this matter.

The safest exercises can be considered those where there is no aggression and fighting, where there is no cult of body, strength, victory, where there is no harsh competition, where training is conducted in a moderate but regular mode, where the teenager remains part of the family, church and spiritual life, where new friends are made and horizons are expanded, where one can give their love to other people, where strength can be applied for the benefit of other people. Good physical form is not a reason to exalt oneself, but an opportunity to be more vigorous and capable of deeds of love and service. And victory is not an end in itself. It is much more important for a teenager to learn to lose with dignity and rejoice in others' successes.

Sport should not be an end in itself or a replacement for spiritual life. Let physical activity become part of a pious life, strengthening health, will, and joy. Then both body and spirit will be directed to one thing - to life with God and for God.

1. Please read Prov. 20:29; 1 Cor. 6:12, 19-20; 9:25-27; Rom. 12:1-2; Matt. 6:33; 1 Tim. 4:7-8; Titus 2:7; Ps. 28(29):11; James 4:6; Jer. 9:23-24, in light of this lesson.

2. What other verses from the Bible came to your mind?

3. What was revealed to you in this chapter?

4. Why is it especially important during adolescence to channel energy in the right direction through physical activity?

5. How do physical exercises contribute not only to physical but also to spiritual formation of a teenager?

6. By what criteria should the safety of a particular sport for a teenager be evaluated?

7. Why is it important to consider not only physical but also philosophical aspects of various sports?

8. How to avoid sports achievements generating pride and superiority over others?

9. How to find balance between achieving results and maintaining health?

10. How to teach a teenager to rejoice in others' successes and not only in their own victories?

11. Why can't computer games and smartphones replace physical activity? What is the danger of gadgets?

12. What can be learned about physical activity from Jesus's example, who preferred walking and mountain climbing?

13. Why does brisk walking remain one of the safest and most effective types of physical exercise?

14. How to make good physical form not a reason for superiority, but an opportunity for more active service and love for others?