By Gina Cortese
As parents, we are extremely concerned with the health and well-being of our children. Recently, there has been a tremendous focus on physical activity, which is a crucial aspect of health. Questions are being raised, ranging from “How much activity is enough?” to “What are the best exercises for children?” We have answers to these questions, as well as guidelines, tips, and insights to help parents achieve success.
Growing rates of obesity among children and adults fuel the interest in physical activity. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), over 66% of our adult population is overweight or obese, and while the percentage of overweight or obese children is not as great, there is growing concern.1 During the past three decades, childhood overweight has more than doubled for preschool children and adolescents and more than tripled for children aged 12 to 19.2 Continuing along this path could mean a tremendous rise in the number of children who are overweight.
So, what are the current recommendations for physical activity for children and adolescents? According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), children should try to accumulate a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. NASPE recommends that most of the activity be intermittent bouts of age-appropriate pursuits that last about 15 minutes. Further, it says that 60 minutes is a minimum recommendation; physical activity that lasts for up to several hours is of even greater benefit.
Does this mean you should be out there with your stop watch making sure your child exercises for exactly 15 minutes four times a day? No. The key is to get your children to move! Most people first think of organized sports when they consider encouraging their children to be active, but in reality any kind of movement is great and should be a goal.
Gina Cortese is associate director, Division of Education, The Cooper Institute.
1http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/, accessed February 2, 2007
2http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html, accessed June 21, 2010.