Children Should Eexercise

Posted on May 1, 2008
Filed Under child |

Physical activity in children to prevent future cardiovascular complications. American researchers recommended for nearly 20 years that children and adolescents should do 20 to 30 minutes of daily vigorous exercise. 8 years ago, British researchers reviewed these recommendations and proposed that all children should participate in physical activity of at least moderate intensity for 1 hour and little physical activity that should rise to at least ½ hour a day with intensity at least moderate.

Because atherosclerosis develops from early childhood, physical activity could positively affect this process.

In Brief
This study shows a gradual negative association between cardiovascular risk factors and physical activity together.

The aim of this study, physical activity and clustered cardiovascular risk in children. The European study of the heart of youth was examining various measures of physical activity objectively assessed in relation to certain risk factors for cardiovascular disease and evaluate together if there is a dose-response relationship to obtain clinical practice guidelines for youth.

It is an international multimember study, developed in Estonia, Denmark and Portugal, which assesses the prevalence and causes of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in children aged 9 to 15 years.

The authors measured blood pressure, blood fat (cholesterol and triglycerides), insulin resistance, the sum of 4 skinfold and aerobic exercise of 1732 children from 9 to 15 years.

The results showed a gradual negative association between risk factors and physical activity together, which means that the overall cardiovascular risk reduction was proportional to the amount of exercise performed. Children 9 years who did 116 minutes (almost 2 hours) per day of moderate exercise or intense and adolescents spend 88 minutes (about 1.5 hours) per day to exercise had the lowest overall cardiovascular risk.

The authors conclude that physical activity is important for the metabolic health of children. To reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, physical activity levels should be higher than those recommended by current clinical practice guidelines in at least 1 hour of daily physical activity of moderate intensity. They recommend children to 90 minutes of daily physical activity to prevent the onset of insulin resistance, a fundamental fact to show risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Parents already know: children have to perform physical activity for 1.5 hours every day. Go buy more sneakers.

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