ABSTRACT
The publicly acclaimed idea that sport, as physical activity, is good for one’s health is prominent in both global health strategies and national physical activity policies. For instance, the World Health Organization emphasizes “the significance of physical activity on public health” and “the need for the development of global recommendations” on physical activity for “the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the general health of the population worldwide” (WHO, 2012: 7). The UK’s Department of Health has embedded these ideas in public health campaigns such as Start Active, Stay Active (DOH, 2011). These policies stem from a range of scientific studies showing that physical activity, of a regular and moderate kind, is good for health, and the position statements of various specialist working groups recommend specific quantities and qualities of activity for reducing risk of disease and improving health in relation to cardiorespiratory function, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition (Bouchard et al., 1990; DOH, 2004; Garber et al., 2011; Pollock et al., 1998).
