Meaning: The latin phrase ‘Mens sana in corpore sano’ means ‘a sound mind in a sound body’. It also means ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body. This pithy saying of great practical value.
One cannot develop one’s mind properly without an adequate development of the physical body. The development of both body and mind must go hand in hand.
A bookworm may do well in an examination during his student-life, but as soon as he enters upon life, he finds his health shattered, his interest in life lost, and his intellect crippled.
Therefore, a perfect balance between physical and intellectual culture is essential for living a happy life in this world.
Brief Explanation: Various kinds of physical exercises, sports, and games are encouraged to promote healthy body and sound mind. Physical activities are essential to avoid the ill effects of sheer intellectual culture. Besides helping a person to develop a healthy body, sports and games teach them discipline, obedience and the qualities of leadership.
Games, sports, and physical activities are now regarded as co-curricular activities, taking them as important as the study of other academic subjects. The importance of games and spores has been recognized by other social institutions also, such as public libraries, clubs and similar other organizations.
Sportsmen cannot grow wild and furious, as there are rules to control them. There is, again, a captain in every team and all the players of a team must as a rule, submit to his leadership. The function of the games teacher is to enforce discipline on the team of players of his school.
Conclusion: We should always bear in mind that the physical exercises are very important for the overall mental development of a person. It should be remembered that time spent in the playground is not spent in vain.