Children – Lecture I

Benefits of Physical Activity

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What is the current state of fitness and wellness in
our school age children?

Poor fitness, poor wellness

 Why are children no longer as active as they
once were?
 The percentage of young people(5-15) who are
overweight has double since 1980.
 Walking and cycling by children(5-15) dropped by
40% between 1977 and 1995.

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 High School Students:
35% fail to regularly participate in vigorous
exercise.
Regular participation in vigorous exercise
drops from 73% in 9th grade to 61% in 12th
grade.
Enrollment in P.E. classes drops from 79% in
9th grade to 37% in 12th grade.
Only 29% participate in P.E. program.

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 How has the reduction of P.E.
programs effected youth?
No structured movement education.
Early experts recognized a need for
developing fundamental movement skills.

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 Society’s Role

Developments that discourage physical activity.

 Community is designed around motorized transportation.
 Safety concerns limit times and areas where physical activity can take
place.
 Technology
Computers
Internet
Entertainment
 States and school districts have cut P.E. programs and requirements.
 Communities have failed to adequately invest in recreational parks and
facilities.

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How much physical activity is needed by children?

Depends on stage of development (age).

Elementary school aged children should accumulate 30-60 minutes every
day.
Activities should vary and be age appropriate.
 More activity is encouraged (up to several hours per day)
 Some activity should include 10 to 15 minute bouts of continuous
movements.
 Children should not be inactive for extended periods of time.
Adolescence
 All adolescence should be physically active nearly every day.
 Adolescence should engage in at least 3 twenty minute sessions of
continuous moderate to vigorous activities per week.
These standards are not being attained and this leads to:
 Physically uneducated adults.

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 The inactive child becomes the physically
uneducated adult
Girls who do not participate in physical activity by age 10 have less than a
10% chance of doing so at age 25.
Only 19% of high school seniors have consistently participated in a phys.
Education program.
 Only 20% of the Ohio population is consistently physically active.
Inactivity during childhood translates to the following as an adult:
 Lack of competence
 Lack of confidence
 Lack of motivation

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 The Characteristics of the Physically uneducated
person
The benefits of physical activity are established early life.
The physically uneducated adult will encounter the following:
 Overweight as a result of inactivity
 Chronic low back pain.
 Painful memories about sports and recreational activities
This leads to a general dislike of physical activity.
 Associate exercise with failure.
Causes person to fail to maintain exercise.
 Fear of exercise or physical exertion.
Fear is often exaggerated.
 Lack confidence in exercise and often make excuses to avoid it.
 Often believe athletes are born physically fit and they, themselves, cannot
achieve fitness because they were born out of shape.
 Has a very poor understanding of exercise and the variety of exercise.

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 Importance of Physical Activity

Physical activity improves functional capacity, health, and quality of life.

 Moderate physical activity will achieve benefits.
Walking, 30 min
Raking leaves, 30 min
Running, 15 min

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 Physical activity reduces the risk of:

Early mortality
Coronary artery disease
Hypertension
Colon Cancer
Diabetes

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 Physical activity will:

Improve energy
Reduce frequency and duration of illness
Improve functional capacity

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 Cognitive Benefits

Children who participate in regular physical activity will learn faster under
similar instructional methods.
 The brain and central nervous system are directly affected by exercise.
 Not a lot of research in this area.

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 Physical activity carries socials benefits

Children who regularly participate in physical activity are less likely

to smoke or become consistent drug users.
More likely to stay in school and perform well academically.
Introduces self discipline and socialization.
Lack of activity makes youth more apt to turn to gangs, violence,
drugs, and other negative sources.

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 Loss of Fundamental Movement Skills

Carries over to adulthood

 Primary reason for inactivity as an adult
Before advanced movements can be performed, fundamental
movements must be learned.
 Skill themes – fundamental movements that are later modified into more
specialized patterns on which activities of increasing complexity are
built.
Allows for the development of locomotor,manipulative, and non
manipulative skills.
Allows children to participate in and enjoy sports.

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 Strategies to promote physical activity.

Children must be able to engage in

activities that are appealing to them.
 Children who voluntarily participate in
physical activity will be more likely to
develop a physical activity habit.
 How can we ensure that children can
engage in appealing activities?
Incorporate exercise through play.

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 Children must be taught fundamental movement
skills at all stages of development.

This will develop confidence in their physical

abilities.
Community and school sports should be
supervised by knowledgeable, supportive adults.
This includes p.e. classes.
Families must be encouraged to support
physical activity.
School programs should include daily physical
activity.

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 Nutrition must also be addressed

Benefits of healthy eating:

 Helps young people grow, develop, and do well in school
 Prevents health problems:
Overweight and obesity
Dental problems
Anemia
 Prevents hypokinetic diseases later in life.
 Daily energy

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 Consequences of unhealthy eating

Behavioral problems
 Hunger
 Too much sugar and too little nutrition
Poor intellectual performance
Overweight and obesity
Eating disorders
Early mortality during adulthood

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 Current eating habits of American youth

84% eat too much fat

Only 1 in 5 youth eat the recommended fruit and veggies
Young girls do not take in enough calcium. (800mg compared to 1200
RDA.)
One in 5 skip breakfast.
13% of girls have eating disorders

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 What is healthy eating?

Eat a variety of foods

Balance food intake with physical activity
Eat plenty of fruit, veggies, and whole grains.
Eat less fat, cholesterol, salt, sugar.

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