Facts About Children and Exercise
According to a study conducted by the National Children and Youth Fitness Study:
- At least half of youth do not engage in physical activity that promotes long-term health.
- Less than 36 percent of elementary and secondary schools offer daily physical education classes.
- Most classes were unlikely to foster lifelong physical activity.
Exercise is an important part of keeping children healthy. Encouraging healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents is important for when they grow older. Lifestyles that are learned in childhood are more likely to stay with the child into adulthood. Changes in lifestyle are harder to make the older the person becomes. The best way to promote healthy lifestyles is for the whole family to become involved.
