Like reading, writing and counting, physical literacy is also a skill that needs to be taught and learned.

The term may sound new to most of us but with growing stress levels and health issues in our country, it needs to be understood more.

The art of knowing and excelling in the fundamental body movements and sports skills with confidence, motivation and competence is called physical literacy.

There are multiple trainers and fitness influencers these days but before blindly following them, one must understand one’s body and take precautions to prevent injuries.

Before zeroing in on a particular exercise, one needs to understand their body’s strengths and weaknesses. In the case of medical history, it is important to consult a doctor.

The need to promote physical literacy is largely due to the increase in lifestyle diseases like obesity in India.

Excessive use of devices, an addition to gaming consoles, and endless time spent on social media, has left a scar on our physical health. This can be filled by becoming physically literate and taking steps towards making the below exercises routine.

Strength training

These aim at building muscles, bones, and joints strong. Weight or resistance exercises fall under this category. Squatting, lunges, pushups and pull-ups, planks, and triceps are some examples.

Movement exercises

There are several movement exercises including pushing, pulling, hinging, twisting, walking and more. One is expected to repeat these to build endurance. 

Stretching exercises

These flex muscles making the body flexible.

(The author is a Head of Sports at Shiv Nadar School and Captain of the Indian Women’s Basketball team)