Just a little exercise can help keep kids thin

Getting low-intensity physical activity instead of staying sedentary can prevent weight gain in kids.

Obesity has become a problem of epidemic proportions for children. Poor diets and sedentary lifestyles are associated with obesity. The health problems associated with obesity are serious and include emotional problems, increased risk for diabetes, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Weight gain in kids can be prevented by switching a sedentary lifestyle for low-intensity physical activity

The University of Eastern Finland reports that weight gain in kids can be prevented by switching a sedentary lifestyle for low-intensity physical activity. There is a decrease in the amount of adipose tissue with just 10 minutes of high-intensity physical activity daily.

Furthermore there is also an improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness in 6–8-year-old children according researchers. It has been observed that the greater the intensity of physical activity, the more powerful the association is with the amount of adipose tissue. It is important to exchange sedentary behavior, which consists primarily of sitting, for at least low intensity physical activity to see positive results. You should strive for at least moderate intensity physical activity to help improve cardiorespiratory fitness.

The greater the amount of time kids spend doing physical activities, the less total body and central body adiposity they have

The researchers observed that the greater the amount of time kids spent doing physical activities, the less total body and central body adiposity they had. With more physical activity the greater the association with less body adiposity. There was 26-30 percent less central body fat in kids who took part in as little as 10 minutes of high-intensity physical activity daily in comparison to kids who did not take part in high-intensity physical activity.

This study has been published in the journal Sports Medicine. It has been indicated by this research that just small changes to exercise associated lifestyle habits can have a positive impact on weight management and cardiovascular fitness of children. It appears that more physical activity at different intensity levels along with a decrease in sedentary time is a significant way to prevent being overweight and improve cardiovascular fitness in children. Children clearly should be encouraged to lead active lifestyles along with getting good nutrition and adequate rest daily in order to improve their overall well being.

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