Half of all UK seven-year-olds do not do enough exercise, with girls far less active than boys, a study suggests. University College London researchers found just 51% of the
6,500 children they monitored achieved the recommended hour of physical
activity each day. For girls, the figure was just 38%, compared with 63% for boys. Half of the group also spent more than six hours being
sedentary each day, although some of this would be spent in class, the
researchers acknowledged.
Dr Ann Hoskins, of Public Health England, agreed. She said: "This study highlights that there is still much to
do to keep children and young people active as they grow older,
especially girls. "The new school year is the perfect time to make healthy
changes, swapping short car or bus journeys with walking or scooting to school."
More here.
2 comments:
I have to say I am no totally convinced about the "scooting" to school bit of is advice. know many do when supervised but what of the others? I A few potential problems here. Is always more difficult to get girls to engage in physical activity. Attempts to coerce them only succeed in putting them off for life. It can be done but often needs a little more work and preparation, whereas most boys have more trouble learning to sit sill.
Just turning kids outdoors doesn't necessarily ensure useful physical activity.
Kath
Encouragement can be made to get more walking to school. There is such things as walking to school week, could this not be used more. I think most children aged 4 - 11 live within walking distance of schools, more difficult for 11+ years when a lot are bused into schools.
Kay
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