Knowing and Understanding how to Manage One’s Physical Activity Practice: Contribution of Language, Thinking and Intelligence to Physical Literacy

Abstract

Agreed upon components of physical literacy are (a) physical competence, (b) knowledge and understanding, (c) motivation and confidence, and (d) lifetime engagement. The purpose of this article is to discuss the development and use of the “knowledge and understanding” PL component in older students and adults with regard to the regulation of their health/fitness- and leisure-related physical-activity-practice (PAP). In a first section the author considers the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and the basic language that may be associated with the management of health- and fitness-oriented physical activities, differentiating elements that pertain to declarative, procedural or conditional knowledge. Based on exercise-monitoring procedures (E-MP) (essentially procedural knowledge) and on exercise-management rules (E-MR) (mostly conditional knowledge), the following section focuses on the development of PAP-management understanding and the related intelligence in its analytical, creative and practical dimensions. In a final section, the author explores briefly the matter of awareness and regulation in terms of exercise-management knowledge and understanding. Keywords: exercise-management awareness, exercise-management regulation, FITT formula, physical-activity monitoring