Your kids need at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day in order to stay on top of their health.
But why?
In 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) compiled the federal governments 1st Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans to help us understand why physical activity (PA) is beneficial.
It stated that any form of exercise of movement the body that uses energy can be classified as PA. Included are examples like, chores around the house, yard work and walking your dog.
Since then HHS has released the 2nd edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans that provides science based evidence to promote active lifestyles for children as young as 3 years all the way to adulthood.
Regular physical activity does not discriminate against who benefits from it. It’s a universally known fact that PA will aid in happier healthier lives.
Statistics in Adults
Unfortunately, about half of American adults have one or more preventable chronic diseases, even though approximately 7/10 of these chronic disease are positively influenced by physical activity.
An alarming 80% of adults are not meeting the physical activity key guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. The recommended guidelines for adults suggest:
- At least 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity PA per week
OR
- 75 minutes to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic PA per week.
OR
- An equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic PA per week.
On top of adults not meeting the recommended amounts of physical activity, researchers have linked approximately $117 billion in preventable annual health care costs, and about 10% of premature mortality.
In efforts to keep adults moving, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion created the Move Your Way campaign to help communicate in the simplest terms about the recommendations from the Guidelines.
The objective is to promote the health benefits of meeting the guidelines. If you click the link above, you will find materials to help you achieve the weekly recommendations.
There’s a lot of helpful information out there, but are you willing to look into it?
What About The Kids?
The growing number of children becoming overweight or obese is a serious problem. Poor health as a child more times than not, translates to poor health as an adult.
If the kids of America aren’t meeting the recommended guidelines now, chances are they wont follow the guidelines listed above as an adult. Creating a downward spiral of unhealthy individuals living among us.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, obesity affects around 13.7 million children and adolescents. Below are the percentages of obesity prevalence in specific age groups:
- 2 to 5 years old: 13.9%
- 6 to 11 years old: 18.4%
- 12 to 19 years old: 20.6%
These numbers are going to continue to grow if we don’t take any action. Children should be taught why their body weight percentage matters in a HEALTHY way.
For information on why we should support Physical Education and Recess in schools, click here!
So what exactly are the benefits of kids getting their recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day?
10 Benefits of 60 Minutes Of Physical Activity a Day:
#1: Reduce Chance of Obesity
The no brainer: helps reduce the chances of obesity. This can lead to a road of health issues and poor quality of life down the road.
Start moving now!
#2: Reducing Preventable Chronic Diseases
Daily physical activity aids in reducing the chances of developing chronic diseases. Some diseases included are;
- High blood pressure
- Atherosclerosis
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Certain cancers
- Type 2 diabetes
The more fat you are carrying on you, the higher the health risk for you of developing these chronic diseases over time.
#3: Improved Academic Performance
Getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day is also shows to help improve students’ academic performance.
Grades can improve due to better focus in the classroom, and academic achievements start to progress.
#4: Builds Strong Bodies
Physical activity helps bodies build and maintain healthy muscles and bones.
The benefit of having a strong healthy body helps protect you from injury while improving balance and coordination.
Also, you may experience less joint stiffness and improved flexibility which can help prevent falls and broken bones.
Keeping our kids moving for 60 minutes a day, helps keep them strong from a young age.
#5: Strengthen Mental and Emotional Health
Mental and emotional well-being is gaining more attention in recent days. Physical activity helps strengthen your mental and emotional health in the best ways possible.
As children and adolescents navigate their way through this cruel world…especially the middle school years, they may struggle with this.
Read 15 Tips to Improve Your Mental Health if you are running out of ideas on how to get your kids well being back on track.
#6: Reduces Feelings of Depression and Anxiety
This one relates to number five. Regular physical activity for kids can help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.
Find out what exactly those “feel good endorphins” are and what exercise does for the brain. If you are interested in reducing the feelings of depression and anxiety, I urge you to look in to more information here.
#7: More Energy
If you’re a parent and you use exercise to tire your kids out, sometimes the opposite can happen! Over the course of the day you will have an easier time getting to sleep at night, but something cool happens during the physical activity.
Blood vessels going to the muscles dilate, causing an influx of blood flow and oxygen to the working muscles. Physical activity also increases your metabolic rate, and combined you can feel more energized.
The great thing about this, is that energized feeling stays with you even after you are done being active. This is good new for kids in school who get a quality PE class or recess time to help stay energized throughout their day.
#8 Helps Body Repair Itself
Healthy lifestyles due to obtaining the recommended amount of 60 minutes of physical activity a day can help your body repair itself from damage done because of injury or surgery.
When you increase muscle tissue and white blood cells by exercising, your body is better able to reduce inflammation that occurs from injury and surgery.
#9 Improved Circulatory System
The more you exercise, the better your cardiovascular system becomes through endurance activity.
The easiest way to tell my kindergarten students why running, dancing, swimming etc. is good for you is because it makes your heart stronger. Even as 5 year olds, they are beginning to understand that the heart is so important, and they need to take care of it.
Not only regular physical activity strengthen your heart health, it also improves your blood’s oxygen caring capacity, and betters your breathing and muscular contractions.
#10 Strong Immune System
Keeping your immune system strong is important, especially in kids, because it protects you from chemical toxins and infection.
Physical activity can improve your immune system and metabolic systems, since it increases your body’s production of antibodies and T-cells.
The increase in production causes them to circulate more rapidly throughout the body!
Exercise also helps get rid of the toxins in your body, which can energize your cells and metabolism.
What Kind Of Physical Activity Should My Kids Get?
Any kind!
In my physical education classes, I teach structured play to the little ones. But unstructured play is just as important for brain development and creativity.
I strongly suggest kids should be moving according to whatever makes them happiest. The goal is to enjoy physical activity so you will keep coming back to it.
Lot’s of kids are into the TikTok dances right now, and if you ask if that counts as physical activity…the answer is yes.
But that isn’t the only way. You don’t have to make your kids go for a run to ensure they are getting quality PA. They run during their tag games, hide and seek games, backyard sports and so many other activities.
So whatever it is your kids decide to do, make sure it’s for AT LEAST 60 minutes a day to maximize the benefits of a strong healthy body for a lifetime.
For more information on what PE looks like in schools right now while social distancing click here. You’ll find daily accounts of how our kids still get physical activity even thought a global pandemic.