Sport and Exercise
“Sport” can refer to any of the following activities: Association football; rugby; ice hockey; cricket; motor racing; gymnastics; swimming; basketball and any form of contact sports. “Sport” also refers to the competitions that these activities involve. So “rugby” is a category above “football”, “rugby” being an example of a less traditional form of contact sport. Sport refers to any form of physical activity, that through organised or casual participation, aim at achieving or expressing physical benefit, formulating social relations or gaining results, at all levels of competition.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Health, Sport and Exercise Management Association (IHEEM) defines “sports” as “any form of competitive physical activity conducted for the development of the physical, mental and social qualities of the athlete”. The United States National Basketball Association (USNBA) defines “manicures” as “exercises or drills intended to improve the strength of the muscles used for jump shots”. The British Medical Journal has provided a very useful guide for professionals, using word definitions provided by the Health and Safety Executive as a reference tool for doctors, medical staff and athletes. In this definition, a sport is considered to be any event involving contact with a ball, including rugby.
Sport involves a range of activities that utilise the entire body, with the use of various tools such as the hands, feet, head, shoulders, muscles, tendons and ligaments, and even the brain. These activities are regularly performed with other people to develop and refine skills in performing a range of tasks. Sport enables people to participate and compete against others within their own environment, often with little or no physical exertion other than prolonged enjoyment of the sport itself. Sport and exercise professionals continually assess the impact of new technologies on the development and refinement of sporting activities to ensure maximum participation and maximum benefits for athletes and fans.