How Physically Active Are The Young People You Know?

Many young people today spend more time watching television, playing video games, and surfing the Internet than they do riding their bikes or playing games like baseball and kick ball. Several factors are driving this shift from physical activities to more sedentary activities. Such factors include advances in technology, a decrease in safe recreational areas, and a lack of parental involvement.

Whatever the driving force, the health implications are the same-an increased risk of becoming an overweight child or teen. If young people carry a sedentary lifestyle into adulthood, they increase their risk for health problems later in life. These include adult obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart disease, colon and other cancers, and depression.

Physical Activity

"Physical activity" has been defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscle action. That definition includes virtually all forms of human motion, including occupational activities (e.g., lifting, digging, walking), household tasks (e.g., mowing the lawn, vacuuming), transportation (e.g., walking to school or work, bicycling to the store), and leisure pursuits (e.g., golf, basketball). It also includes "exercise," i.e., physical activity that is performed for the purpose of enhancing health or physical fitness.

Many Factors Influence Physical Activity

Research shows that younger children are more active than older children and that boys are more active than girls. Younger children also have a higher intensity level with their physical activity than older children. Both boys and girls participate less in physical education classes and sports as they get older, but boys remain more active overall than girls.

A young person's fitness level, body composition, and motor skill development also influence activity levels - as well as his or her confidence in the ability to be physically active and how he or she perceives physical activity (i.e., cool, beneficial, fun versus hard, sweaty, time consuming).

The physical environment in which young people live affects their participation in physical activities. Do they live in an apartment building in a busy city, or in a house in the suburbs or rural community? Does the neighborhood have recreational facilities? Is it safe to play outdoors? Do the schools require physical education classes and offer after-school physical activities?

Parents exert the strongest social influence in the lives of their children, including the role they play in encouraging their children to be physically active. Although verbal support and role modeling provide encouragement, parents who financially support (e.g., purchase physical activity equipment), transport (e.g., drive their children to sports practice or to a physical activity facility), and are active with their children typically have the most physically active children.

Teachers, coaches, health professionals, and active peers can also influence a young person to be physically active.

What Experts Recommend

Physical activity professionals have issued physical activity guidelines out of concern for the sedentary lifestyle of many young people and the associated risk for childhood and adolescent obesity. The experts recommend that young people accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. They also recommend that youths regularly participate in resistance exercise (e.g., weight lifting), particularly for the upper extremities.

Young people need to incorporate more physical activity into their lives if they are to become healthy adults. Suggestions for how you can promote physical activity in your school, community, and home are below.

School

• Advocate for high-quality physical education in grades one through 12.
• Include a physical activity component in health education classes.
• Encourage children to walk or ride their bikes to school.
• Establish a volunteer network of parents that take turns as chaperones for children walking or cycling to school.
• Advocate for increased access to school facilities on nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Advocate for sports and physical activity programs for all children, not just the most talented.
• Increase children's knowledge about HOW to be physically active.
• Encourage positive beliefs and attitudes towards physical activity.
• Encourage school personnel to MAKE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FUN AND INTERESTING!

Community

• Advocate for a bicycle-friendly community. ( http://www.bikesbelong.org )
• Advocate for a pedestrian-friendly community. ( http://www.bikefed.org and http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk.htm )
• Advocate for increased access to community physical activity facilities.
• Volunteer to coach or organize community sports programs.
• Focus on enjoyable participation in recreational sports -- not winning.
• Make children aware of all programs available through community organizations.
• Encourage community providers to MAKE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FUN AND INTERESTING!

Home

• Make physical activity equipment and clothing available to children.
• Limit children's amount of "screen time" (watching television or videotapes, video games, computer use).
• Encourage children to play outside whenever possible.
• Encourage children to be physically active or play sports.
• Be a positive role model by being physically active yourself.
• Plan physical activities that involve the entire family.
• MAKE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FUN AND INTERESTING!

Links

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance

International Food Information Council

HERSHEY'S Track and Field

KidsHealth