“Instead of being on a screen you can be more out there and enjoy your life”: Young people’s understandings of physical activity for health

Background: Despite documented evidence of the benefits of leading a physically active life, it is reported that less than half of young people in Europe meet the physical activity recommendations. Schools, and in particular physical education (PE), are viewed to be at the forefront of addressing inactive lifestyles and educating young people about physical activity. Nonetheless, given advancements in technology, young people are increasingly exposed to physical activity information “beyond the school gates”. Consequently, if PE teachers are to support young people to understand the information they receive surrounding physical activity online, then they need to be able to address any misconceptions about health they may have. Methods: In this study, fourteen young people (7 boys and 7 girls) in year 9 (13–14 years old) from two secondary schools in England participated in a digitally-based activity and semi-structured interviews which aimed to explore their conceptions of physical activity for health. Results: It was found that the young people had limited and narrow conceptions of what it means to be physically active. Conclusions: It was suggested the findings could be partly attributed to limitations in students’ learning and experiences with respect to physical activity and health in the PE curriculum.