Are Your Kids Active Enough? 5 Reasons Childhood Fitness is More Important than You Think

Almost half of children between the ages of 3 and 5 do not get enough exercise with their parents. When it comes to 9th – 12th graders, only about 25% engaged in moderate activity for more than 30 minutes most days of the week.

About the same number spent at least 4 hours a day watching TV. If these statistics alarm you – they should. Childhood fitness is likely more important than you’d ever imagine.

1. Lifelong Habits Start at a Young Age

Any adult who’s ever had a bad habit knows how hard they are to break. The reality is that many bad habits are not formed in adulthood, but are started as children.

Kids who are encouraged to brush their teeth several times a day from a very young age are likely to continue to do so as adults.

Children who have a set routine will be more comfortable with routines for the rest of their lives. And kids who get plenty of exercise as kids are likely to exercise more as adults.

2. When It Comes To Exercise, Parents Often Pass The Buck

Many parents don’t get out and move around with their kids enough because they assume they’re getting plenty of exercise elsewhere.

They assume that their daycare or school is nothing but a day spent running around, getting a workout. Unfortunately that’s not always the case.

There are a number of reasons that kids may not get as much exercise during the day as you may think. For example, when one student in a class forgets their coat when it’s cool outside, that means everyone has to stay in.

3. The Obesity Epidemic Is Increasing at an Alarming Weight

More than 1 in 10 children aged 2-5 are overweight. Not only is this an unacceptable number, but it’s more than double the amount of children that were overweight as recent as 1980.

If the epidemic continues at the current rate, we can expect approximately 25% of children to be overweight by 2050. Part of the problem is diet, but much of it is the fact that kids simply don’t get out and move around the way they once did.

4. Getting Active and Staying That Way Is Not as Hard as You Think

Parents often put off exercising with their kids because they don’t think they have the time. They assume it takes an hour or more, or that strenuous activities must be involved. The reality is that just 60 minutes of brisk walking can have a significant health impact.

In children it can improve cardio-respiratory function, regulate blood pressure, have a positive impact on weight, and it also has significant emotional and cognitive benefits. It’s recommended that children engage in 60 minutes of exercise every day, and that they aren’t sedentary for more than one hour at a time – except when sleeping, of course.

There are so many ways to stay active as a family besides just logging daily exercise. In the winter, select indoor activities like skating or bowling. Your local YMCA probably hosts a weekly indoor family swim.

In the summer, select day trips that will keep you on your toes all day. A trip to sand dunes or an extremely hilly area will get everyone climbing, or a trip to a theme park will have you on your feet all day long.

5. Diseases That Used To Be Reserved For Adults are Being Diagnosed In Children

There are a number of diseases that used to be referred to as ‘adult onset,’ because they typically came after a person became an adult. That is no longer the case.

Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are now being diagnosed in children and teenagers on a regular basis. Exercise plays a key role in reducing the risk of these diseases.

These numbers may be alarming – and they should be – but the answers are simple and clear. At least 60 minutes of exercise a day, every day, will lead to happier, healthier kids.