Two recent studies once again recommend that television and screen time should be limited for all children. Pediatrics recently published research on Vitamin D deficiencies in children. Over 6,000 children were studied with 9% being Vitamin D deficient and 61% being Vitamin D insufficient. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with a higher risk […]
The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) published a fact sheet on childhood obesity and physical activity. Here are several of the suggested recommendations based on research: 1. 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day for children ages 5-18 years old. 2. Preschoolers should participate in 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity […]
PARENTS’ ENDORSEMENT OF VIGOROUS TEAM SPORTS INCREASES CHILDREN’S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SAY RESEARCHERS But Parents Push Girls Less Toward Sports and Vigorous Chores, According to New Study ——————————————————————————– WASHINGTON—Parents who value strenuous team sports are more likely to influence their children to join a team or at least participate in some kind of exercise, and spend […]
More and more research continues to be published supporting the idea that children need to be active. The benefits of physical activity are numerous. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine recently published research on early physical activity in young children and its effects on body fat mass. Boys and girls (333 children) physical activity levels […]
Tomorrow is National Get Outdoors Day (June 13, 2009). Here are 5 fun activities to do with children outdoors. 1. Go to the playground – go visit a local playground and explore allthe climbing equipment, swings and slides. Supervise and assistyour child as necessary. Sometimes all a child needs is someverbal reminders of how to […]
A recent study in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity offers some exciting research regarding physical activity in boys. The researchers studied physical activity levels in 47 boys(ages 8-10 years old)using accelerometry for seven days. After the seven days they measured waist circumference, aerobic fitness and microvascular function. The researchers discovered that the boys performed […]
Previously, I have discussed how important physical activity is for school children (podcast, articles and blog posts). In my opinion, physical activities are being ignored as a potential reason for decreased test scores and behavioral problems in school districts. When children are made to sit all day long, they will act out, be inattentive and […]
Pediatrics reports that 8-9 year old children who receive at least 15 minutes of daily recess had better teacher’s rating scores of classroom behavior. The New York Times wrote an article on this topic yesterday. Read more at the New York Times. There is a great discussion that follows. This is a informative article for […]