A COMPARATIVE STUDY REGARDING THE IMPACT OF PHYSICAL EXERCISES OVER THE SOMATIC INDICATORS FOR CHILDREN LIVING IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS (10-11 YEARS).

Problem Statement: Once a child starts its school experience, the learning process is triggered, as it is considered that it has to develop on the basis of a healthy organism, due to the fact that the intellectual effort requires a greater physical resistance. Furthermore, knowing children's anatomic and physiologic particularities is a necessary condition for a good proceeding of the Physical Education lesson in school, because it enables the members of the didactic staff to understand the importance of physical education for primary school pupils, and the necessity of these lessons to be realised in an organised and systematic manner. Somatic parameters are a barometer for the didactic staff, and a comparative presentation of these parameters could represent a starting signal for the didactic process. Purpose of Study: This research started from the hypothesis according to which there are significant differences in the somatic development of children in urban areas, as compared to those living in rural areas, and we believe that these differences occurred due to the lack of movement. The present research was undertaken on a group of 20 subjects: 10 subjects living and learning in urban areas, and other 10 in rural areas. Research Methods: For our research we used the bibliographic study method, observation method, enquiry method (discussion, conversation, Lexical association - La, etc.), pedagogical experiment method, statistical-mathematical method, and graphical method. Findings: The purpose of this research was to observe if significant differences occur in the somatic development for children from urban areas, which have only two Physical Education lessons are more sedentary, as compared with children from rural areas, who, in addition to the two lessons of Physical Education they have in the weekly syllabus, spend about 2-3 hours a day outdoors playing ball, running or playing several specific countryside childhood games (catch, hide and seek, etc). Conclusions: Therefore, Physical Education lesson combined with leisure activities has a positive effect on children's growth and development, an aspect which should be taken into consideration, and we should offer more outdoor time for children living and studying in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]