Teens Need More Exercise In School
Info originally posted on www.MoveForwardPT.com
On school days, young adolescents (12 to 16 years) get 55% of their physical activity on school grounds. But recent research suggests that’s not enough.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times (“More exercise at school may be key to improving teens’ health” – December 2015), only 8% of students get the recommended 60 minutes of exercise per day. To make up the difference, “a typical school would need to devote 7.5% of its instructional time to physical fitness,” instead of the 4.8% found to be the average in a recent study published in Pediatrics (“Locations of Physical Activity as Assessed by GPS in Young Adolescents” – January 2016).
“Because adolescents spend so much time at school, even a small increase in the proportion of at-school time spent physically active could lead to meaningful increases in overall physical activity and metabolic health,” the study authors wrote.
If your child is not getting enough exercise during school, make sure you encourage them to take part in extra-curricular sports or spend enough time doing physical activity after school to reach at least that recommended 60 minutes of exercises a day. Fitness is not just necessary for those children who are in sports. Fitness and exercise improves energy levels, enhances emotional well-being, strengthens bones, heart, and lungs, can help prevent cancer, and of course controls weight.
While at school, make sure your child is wearing their backpack correctly. For more information, check out this article: Backpack Tips for Back to School
If your child has an injury or pain that is keeping them from taking part in their sport, physical education classes, or even just playing outside, physical therapy can help. Exercise, proper technique, and safety are extremely important as your child grows! Don’t think they will get better on their own, make sure you’re getting them the help they need! Give us a call at (602) 808-8989 to take the first step towards getting your kid back in the game!
Tags: adolescents, Children, emotional well-being, fitness, improve energy, pediatric, physical education, strengthen bones, strengthen heart, strengthen lungs, teens
