Children and teens aren’t doing enough physical activity – new study sounds a health warning.
Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. It’s also associated with chronic illness and disability. Recent research estimates that the world could see close to half a billion new cases of major chronic diseases by 2030 if people don’t get more active. Regular physical activity helps to prevent and manage many chronic diseases. Popular ways to be physically active include walking, cycling, and playing sports.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adolescents (5-17 years old) get an average of at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. This should incorporate vigorous aerobic activities, as well as those that strengthen muscle and bone, at least three days a week. It’s also recommended that children spend no more than two hours a day on recreational screen time. These recommendations aim to improve children’s physical and mental health, as well as cognitive outcomes.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, physical activity among children and adolescents was already below the recommended levels. In 2016, 81% of adolescents around the world aged 11-17 were considered physically inactive. Girls were less active than boys.
HOMESCHOOL? Students lost months of learning due to COVID school closures. What can parents do to help?
For all the talk of life getting back to normal, school hasn’t been the same in years.
Three years since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools across the U.S., students have experienced one disruption after another: a COVID outbreak here, a flood there, an ice storm, hurricane, or tornado over there. Community events, school-related violence, even water system breakdowns have disrupted class.
New research published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour concludes that the combination of pandemic-related school closures, the shift to virtual learning where it was even an option and the mental health toll on students set kids back by about a third of a year. The analysis concluded as much based on a review of 42 other studies conducted in 15 countries. Nearly all the world’s student population experienced school closures because of COVID.
h/t Glenn