Children and Women in Sports

Postural deformities in detail

Posture is the position of the body while sitting, standing, walking and lying. Correct posture keeps the body segments aligned so that the least strain falls on the muscles, joints and ligaments. A deformity develops when that alignment is lost, usually through habit, malnutrition, weak muscles, carrying heavy loads or disease.

• Kyphosis: an exaggerated outward curve of the thoracic spine, producing round shoulders and a hunched back. Causes include habitual stooping, weak back muscles, malnutrition and illness. Corrective exercises include dhanurasana, bhujangasana, chakrasana and reverse arm circling.
• Lordosis: an exaggerated inward curve of the lumbar spine, pushing the abdomen forward. Causes include weak abdominal muscles, obesity and improper carrying of weight. Corrective exercises include halasana, paschimottanasana, forward bending and sit-ups.
• Scoliosis: a sideways curve of the spine, often with one shoulder higher than the other. Causes include carrying a heavy load on one side, unequal leg length and faulty sitting habits. Corrective exercises include trikonasana, ardha chakrasana on the affected side, bending exercises and swimming.
• Flat foot: loss of the medial arch, so the whole sole touches the ground; it causes pain on prolonged standing. Corrective measures include walking on the toes and heels, rope skipping, picking up objects with the toes and using arch-supporting footwear.
• Knock knees: the knees touch or overlap while the ankles stay apart. Causes include rickets, vitamin D and calcium deficiency and obesity. Corrective exercises include horse riding, padmasana, gomukhasana and using a pillow between the knees.
• Bow legs: the knees stay apart while the ankles touch. Causes include vitamin D deficiency and premature weight bearing in infancy. Corrective exercises include walking on the inner edge of the feet, garudasana and ardha matsyendrasana.

Women and sports

Participation of women in sports in India has risen sharply, but sociological factors still restrict it: family attitudes, safety concerns, lack of facilities and female coaches, limited media coverage and economic dependence. Psychological factors include lower self-confidence and higher anxiety where support is absent.

• Female athlete triad: three interrelated conditions — disordered eating, amenorrhoea and osteoporosis.
• Osteoporosis: reduced bone density caused by low calcium and low oestrogen, increasing stress fracture risk.
• Amenorrhoea: absence of menstruation, often linked to intense training with insufficient energy intake.
• Eating disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulimia, driven by pressure to maintain low body weight.
• Prevention: adequate energy intake, calcium and vitamin D, sensible training loads and early medical advice.

Important questions

• Explain any three postural deformities with their corrective measures.
• What is the female athlete triad? Explain its components.
• Discuss the sociological factors affecting women's participation in sports in India.
• Explain motor development and the factors affecting it.

• Attempt the Unit 2 online test
• Unit 3 — Yoga as Preventive Measure for Lifestyle Disease
• Class 12 question papers