Despite an eye toward healthier eating, according to the US Public Health Service, kids in the US have actually grown fatter since the 1960s. In addition, 40 % of children ages 5 to 8 already show at least one heart disease risk factor and 50 % of girls and 30 % of boys have low cardiovascular fitness levels.
Daily physical activity plays an important role for persons of all ages in:
A recent consensus statement (1994) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (1997) have made the following recommendations for physical activity and health for children and youth (actually, these recommendations are the same as those promoted by the Surgeon General for adults in 1996).
There are two recommendations for physical activity and health :
For the person who is sedentary or persons who have difficulty finding time to exercise, the CDC, ACSM, and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports recommendations would be most appropriate. It states that sedentary individuals can reduce their risk of heart disease by accumulating 30 minutes of less vigorous (moderate) activities on a daily basis. (Example: brisk walking…10 minutes before breakfast, 10 minutes before lunch and 10 minutes before dinner).
Whereas persons who are already active (can complete 30 minutes of moderate activity, most everyday of the week), could derive additional benefits by following the recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM, 1978): 20 minutes or more of vigorous (overall feels somewhat hard to hard) aerobic activity, 3-5 times a week.
Family exercise can be fun and is time well spent in terms of physical and mental fitness.