I move, therefore I am. Meaning, philosophy and physical literacy

Physical literacy (PL) is not simply being physically active. PL can be described as the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in lifelong physical activity. We will inquire into the philosophical underpinnings of the existentialist component of why one should value and take responsibility for engagement in lifelong physical activity. We discuss this "why" question by elaborating on a philosophical and existentialistic interpretation of meaning. Our belief is that by giving meaning to our engagement in physical activities we can maintain motivation, confidence, competence, knowledge, and understanding during our lifespan. After a presentation of some initial elements of existentialism, PL and a discussion of meaning in a philosophical sense, we will continue by discussing why it is important to find meaning in physical activity, and then what constitutes a meaningful life. We argue that the quest for philosophical meaning arises from the vulnerability of human life and the meaninglessness of a material universe. We propose to offer one type of answer via Lucretius' thoughts on death, Owen Flanagan and Thomas Nagel's reflections on developing a meaningful lifestory, and then present Friedrich Nietzsche's idea of the so-called eternal recurrence. From there, we present our interpretation of the eternal recurrence as a question one must ask oneself when confronted with questions of meaning and what one should do with one's life. In the light of Nietzsche, we attempt to discuss physical activity and the holistic idea of physical literacy as an important part of living, of human existence and one possible way of finding meaning throughout our lifespan. Finally, our inquiry will lead us to a picture that presents physical literacy not only as something important, but first and foremost as something vital.