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CDC Report: One in Four Kids Gets Enough Exercise

football, team training, men's health, weight loss, fitnessIf your child falls between the ages of 12 and 15, chances are they’re not getting enough exercise.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only 25 percent of kids in this age group are meeting the recommendation for 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

The news comes despite national attention to the problems associated with childhood obesity and campaigns to promote exercise. Researchers used 2012 data from the combined National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey. The findings appear in the January issue of the NCHS Data Brief.

So what is a parent to do?

According to the report, sports offer great exercise for children. And many kids still enjoy them.

“U.S. youth engaged in a wide range of physical activities out of school-based PE and gym classes, including basketball, football, running and dancing. In fact, almost one-half of all U.S. boys aged 12 to 15 years who reported activities outside of gym classes reported playing basketball during the previous week,” the authors wrote.

Basketball was the most common activity for active boys.

Other favorites included:

Active girls preferred different forms of exercise. Top on their list was running. Followed by:

  • walking
  • basketball
  • dancing
  • bike riding

Researchers also noted that physical activity for children not only helps improve academic performance, but it also helps youth to stay physically active as young adults. And physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, the report states.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

+ Does a child in your life need to lose weight? Bon Secours In Motion offers a youth fitness program designed to help children make healthier food choices and find ways to enjoy physical exercise.

+ Make 2014 the year you and your family commit to a healthier lifestyle. Learn the latest about nutrition with nutritional analysis, a program offered by the Registered Dietitians at Bon Secours In Motion Physical Therapy and Sports Performance.