Kids who are physically active at age 5 have less body fat at age 8 and 11 and benefit from this activity into their future years. Learn about the importance of activity for children below!
Recent research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has demonstrated that kids who are physically active when they are young are more apt to stay lean even if they don’t remain as active later on.
This effect has been termed the ‘banking effect’ of activity in children. The study used a tool to measure the activity of over 300 children and followed the children for three to five years.
Body fat, bone and muscle were measured during this time. The results revealed that there was a positive effect of physical activity during the youngest years of a child’s life that carried over into later ages.
The research suggests that even an extra ten minutes a day of physical activity can be protective against fat gains.
The Importance of Activity for Children
Physical Activity
Physical activity is not the same as physical fitness. Physical activity can be defined as many of the activities that a child normally does throughout the course of their day.
The three key areas that should occur are activities that involve aerobic activity, muscle toning and bone strength. Examples of these activities for a five year old might include walking, climbing and swinging on the jungle gym, playing ball, jumping rope, bicycling and running.
As the child gets older, more formal activities such as baseball, basketball, playing Frisbee, soccer, gymnastics, dance all contribute to these three key areas of activity.
The sedentary lifestyle of many kids and the emphasis on activities such as TV, on- line games, handheld games and other technological advancements need to be balanced with outdoor activities.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that kids get at least one hour of physical activity each day. This does not mean a ‘workout’ in the way that adults think of it. It can be many activities, that when added up equal an hour of activity.
Effects of childhood obesity
The benefits of growing up active and lean are well known.
Recent data reveals that childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years and that almost 20% of children in the United States are considered obese. The long term effects of childhood obesity are both emotional and physical.
Children may be stigmatized by their weight, leading to poor self esteem and poor performance in school. They may be unable to participate in normal physical activities that other children do.
Over time, if obesity remains throughout their life, they are more likely to suffer health problems such as diabetes, bone and joint problems, and cardiovascular disease.
President’s Council on Physical Fitness
It was first recognized that American kids were becoming less fit than European kids in 1956 when President Eisenhower established the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Subsequent Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Bush all re-affirmed the need for American youth to maintain a healthy physical fitness. Many parents today remember the beginning of youth physical education classes during those years and the focus on physical activity.
The ‘banking effect’ shows us that today’s parents have an important role in the overall physical fitness of their children by encouraging normal play activities when their children are as young as five years old.
Taking your child to the playground, walking with them, tossing or kicking a ball are all activities that cost nothing and can help guide the child to a healthier life.