Educación Física y Estilos de Vida Saludable. Análisis Teórico-Reflexivo

Physical Education and Healthy Lifestyles. Theoretical-Reflective Analysis

Abstract

Problems such as sedentary lifestyle, obesity, lack of energy, stress, anxiety, apathy, loneliness, and lack of concentration are often observed in students. One possible response to this situation is the implementation of physical and recreational activities. Physical education is increasingly relevant for promoting healthy living conditions in a holistic manner—physical, mental, and social—at all stages of human existence. This discipline proves to be an important and accessible pedagogical tool for fostering physical, communicative, collaborative, psychosocial, and value-building skills, from childhood to old age. The purpose of this article is to analyze, through a documentary review, the impact of physical education on promoting healthy lifestyles in students. A review of the published scientific literature was conducted, selecting articles from academic databases such as Scopus, SciELO, and Redalyc that address the topic from an educational perspective. The results show that physical education, when approached from a holistic perspective, has a high potential to influence the adoption of healthy habits. However, it faces challenges such as low institutional recognition, weak teacher training in health, and a lack of coordination between different social sectors. It is concluded that strengthening the pedagogical role of this discipline is key to advancing toward an education committed to the well-being and comprehensive development of students.