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Kids Fitness
Do your children spend more time inside the house watching television or playing
computer games than they spend playing outside? Do you know that
motivating your children to be active not only improves their health
and well-being now, but may also benefit their health later in life?
Too many kids today are not active!
Inactivity is becoming an epidemic among children. Children today
are less active than they were just a few years ago because of many
factors, including less participation in daily physical education
classes at school.
Kids need to be active!
Lack of exercise is a major reason for the growing rate
of obesity among children. Watching TV for even as few
as two to five hours per week is linked to being overweight. Sadly
enough, the number of children who watch five or more hours of television
per day has increased dramatically in recent years. Instead of just
watching TV, encourage your children to spend time each day in play
that requires them to be physically active. Health professionals
agree that physical activity is essential to helping children not
only reach, but more importantly maintain, a healthy weight.
Exercise can strengthen children's bones now as well as
later in life. Children who participate in weight-bearing,
impact sports such as running, gymnastics, tumbling, and dance have
higher bone density than children who are not active or children
whose major activity is a non-weight-bearing exercise such as swimming.
Building strong bones in childhood helps to maintain bone health
later in life.
Active children may increase their chance of becoming
healthy adults. Children who enjoy exercise may develop
a lifelong, healthy habit of being physically active. If they stay
active as adults, they will enjoy better health and may live longer
than their less active peers. Physical activity can decrease the
risk of obesity, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke,
and heart disease among adults. People who remain active on a regular
basis tend to live longer than people who are not regularly active.
Children need to consume a healthy diet and plenty of
fluids for active play. Children need to consume adequate
calories to provide them with the energy to be active. Foods provide
children with the energy and nutrients they need to grow and the
energy they need for active play. Active children also need to drink
plenty of fluids before, during, and after exercise.
The U.S. government and numerous health professional organizations
recommend that children and adolescents participate in 30 minutes
ormore of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all,
days of the week.
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