foodconsumer.org: European study verifies cardio benefits of daily exercise in school children

European study verifies cardio benefits of daily exercise in school children
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admin on 05/09/2009 14:09:00
 
Saturday May 9, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- While no one doubts that exercise is
good for kids, there have been few studies out there that actually give hard
data to support this claim.
Robert Malina, Professor Emeritus of Kinesiology and Health Education at the
University of Texas in Austin, tells the New York Times that the CDC’s 2004
recommendation advising kids to get 20-60 minutes of exercise a day was sort of
an educated guess based on the limited knowledge they had.
But a European study has changed all of the guesswork. A study in Leipzig,
Germany, was conducted after implementing daily physical exercise programs in
schools for one year. A group of 188 students were tested, some of whom had a
daily exercise class that included 15 minutes of endurance training, and some
that participated in sports programs twice a week.
After one year, the results, which were posted in EuroPrevent 2009, have all
been positive. HDL cholesterol levels were higher, systolic blood pressure was
lower, and endurance capacity was 29% greater. But the biggest surprise to the
researchers was that the obesity rate dropped down to 9%, from 13%. Researchers
intend to follow the Leipzig children for the next 10-20 years to determine how
physical fitness regimens will affect their lifestyles as adults.
While the European news is good, in the United States, the No Child Left Behind
bill has resulted in cuts in physical education programs. In a letter to the New
York Times, John P. Allegrante, professor of Health and Behavior Studies for the
Teacher’s College at Columbia University writes, “…The narrowing of the
curriculum under No Child Left Behind is leaving too many children and
adolescents out of shape.”
This means that parents have an added burden to ensure that kids are getting
some form of physical activity in their daily lives. The Mayo Clinic suggests
that parents are huge motivators when it comes to fitness: “A parent’s
active lifestyle is a powerful stimulus for a child.” The clinic encourages
parents to take part in family walks in the park, swimming dates, and even a
good game of catch in the back yard.
The American Academy of Pediatrics also encourages parents to limit “screen
time” to only 1 – 2 hours of television and/or video games per day.
Lynne Vaughn, national consultant to the YMCA, believes that it’s important
for parents and after school programs to focus on “joyful, childhood
activities.” Or, in other words, to bring back childhood play.
(By Rachel Stockton, and edited by Heather Kelley)