Physically Active youth: Raising a generation beyond our health problems

Posted on Thursday, April 19th, 2007

The benefits of physical activity and the harms of sedentary lifestyle are very well documented through many studies and observations leading to intensive campaigns promoting physical fitness throughout all age groups
Childhood and adolescence are crucial developmental periods preparing and shaping adult behavioral and health status. Healthy lifestyle behaviors, whether dietary or physical, should be implemented early in life to ensure optimal health throughout the life span.

Current recommendations for physical activity in youth:

The American Heart Association recommends that children and adolescents should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day (activity that causes some increase in breathing and heart rate, such as brisk walking, dancing, swimming, or cycling on flat terrain).
Physical activity should be developmentally appropriate, enjoyable and involves a variety of activities. The 60 minutes can be accumulated throughout the day meaning that any activity during school, PE, recess and in before and after-school programs can be added up at the end of the day for the required 60 minutes.

Importance of physical activity in youth:

Being physically active or not living a sedentary lifestyle is very important for children and adolescents in many aspects.
The Surgeon General’s report indicates that physical activity in children/adolescents:

• Leads to improved body composition: increased lean muscle mass, reduced total body fat
• Reduces heart disease risk factors among children and adolescents.
• Plays a substantial role in the development of bone mass during childhood and adolescence and helps maintain the structure and functional strength of bone throughout life.

In addition, participating in regular physical have emotional and psychological benefits as it has been shown to:

• Enhances psychological well-being.
• Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve mood.

Example of chronic diseases prevented by physical activity in youth:

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is the state of low bone density or porous bones in adults. This condition may cause serious and disabling bone fractures in older adults.
Osteoporosis may result if too little bone building occurs during childhood and adolescence.
In addition to optimal dietary habits with adequate calcium and vitamin D content, physical activity contributes in building greater bone density in childhood and adolescence and maintaining peak bone density in adulthood.
The physical activities that mostly increase bone strength are referred to as Weight-bearing activities. These activities require children and adolescents to move their own weight. Weight-bearing activities include jumping rope, walking, playing soccer or basketball among other.

Obesity

Obesity is a state of excessive fat mass. The prevalence of this condition is reaching alarming levels in children and teenagers. Physical activity is crucial for obtaining and maintaining a healthy weight.
Studies have proven that including physical activity in a weight loss program along with family intervention and a moderate reduction in caloric intake produces significant reductions in the prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity.
Participating in physical activity helps children and adolescents expend energy (calories), which helps them obtain and maintain a healthy weight. Physical activity favorably affects body fat distribution.
Aerobic activities such as distance running, swimming and biking are best for expending calories.

Hypertension

Hypertension is a state of abnormally high blood pressure. This causes many diseases in adults including strokes, renal and heart failure. Essential hypertension, which usually develops during childhood, is often the cause of these diseases. Regular physical activity has been shown to lower blood pressure in children and adolescents.
Activities such as running, biking, and swimming for 30 minutes three times a week promote cardiorespiratory fitness and help decrease resting blood pressure in children and adolescents with hypertension.

Mental Health

Regular physical activity has the potential to promote psychological health in children and adolescents. Participating in regular physical activity appears to enhance self-esteem and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents with emotional disorders or developmental disabilities.

Concerning facts about youth and physical activity:

Although the role of physical activity is well recognized, still the number of youth engaged in regular physical behavior or meeting the recommendations for physical activity is alarming. In fact:

• Nearly half of American youths aged 12-21 years are not vigorously active on a regular basis.
• About 14 percent of young people report no recent physical activity. Inactivity is more common among females (14%) than males (7%) and among black females (21%) than white females (12%).
• Participation in all types of physical activity declines strikingly as age or grade in school increases.
• Only 19 percent of all high school students are physically active for 20 minutes or more, five days a week, in physical education classes.
• Daily enrollment in physical education classes dropped from 42 percent to 25 percent among high school students between 1991 and 1995.

Ways to promote physical activity in youth:

The surgeon General report on Youth and physical activity concluded that:

• Well designed school-based interventions directed at increasing physical activity in physical education classes have been shown to be effective.
• Social support from family and friends has been consistently and positively related to regular physical activity.

How can parents help promote physical activity for their children:

• Physical activity should be increased by reducing sedentary time (e.g., watching television, playing computer video games or talking on the phone).
• Physical activity should be fun for children and adolescents.
• Parents should try to be role models for active lifestyles and provide children with opportunities for increased physical activity

For more tips to parents go to: http://www.knackonline.org/parents/children/move-more.php

How can the community help promote physical activity in children:

• Provide quality, preferably daily, K-12 physical education classes and hire physical education specialists to teach them.
• Create opportunities for physical activities that are enjoyable, that promote adolescents’ and young adults’ confidence in their ability to be physically active, and that involve friends, peers, and parents.
• Provide appropriate physically active role models for youths.
• Provide access to school buildings and community facilities that enable safe participation in physical activity.
• Provide a range of extracurricular programs in schools and community recreation centers to meet the needs and interests of specific adolescent and young adult populations, such as racial and ethnic minority groups, females, persons with disabilities, and low-income groups.
• Encourage health care providers to talk routinely to adolescents and young adults about the importance of incorporating physical activity into their lives.

For more tips to community worker on evidence-based programs promoting physical activity in youth go to: http://www.knackonline.org/information/evidence-based-programs.php

 

The above information was adapted from:

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4596

http://www.brightfutures.org/physicalactivity/intro/006_011.html

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/adoles.htm