Global Physical Inactivity Trends in Adolescents

Physical activity has many health benefits for young people, they include improved aerobic and muscular fitness, bone health, mental and cognitive benefits as well as positive effects on metabolic markers and overweight and obesity reduction [1][3][4]. It basically just does wonders for our young.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of adolescents globally are not participating in enough physical activity, placing their present and future health at risk, according to a new study published in the Lancet medical journal [2]. More landmark research article on the decline of physical activity in children.

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To some, this is not as important as discussing:

the perfect nutritional template - whatever that maybe this week;
mindfulness - let’s get our kids sitting still and moving even LESS;
or technological innovation - which usually leads to more inactive screen time. With less time reading with parents, socialising with friends and outdoor play.

However, in the UK, parents are becoming so over-protective that children are not allowed to climb trees, play in the rain or get dirty, according to a study conducted by Stephen Moss at the National Trust.

In 2012, a mother in Houston, Texas was arrested for “child endangerment” when a neighbour called the police and accused her of abandoning her 6-and-9-year-old children because they were riding scooters in the street at the end of a quiet, suburban cul-de-sac! Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case.

Future generations will undoubtedly look back at this time and wonder why we had let our children become so sedentary, cooped up indoors, negatively affecting not only their physical health but their mental, social and emotional health too.

This type of research may seem to contradict a typical adult’s view of how active kids are today. Surely the overwhelming number of extra-curricular activities available nowadays in comparison to one’s childhood sufficiently meets the movement needs of today’s children? For some kids yes.

Not many parents realise much of the structured classes and activities that kids participate in weekly - do not meet the minimum physical activity guidelines in terms of the quantity, let alone the quality, of movement necessary for the health of our children.

The majority of adolescents do not meet current physical activity guidelines. We have a lot of work to do!

"80 Percent: The percentage of children globally aged 11-to-17 that do not meet the recommendations of at least one hour of physical activity per day according to the World Health Organisation.”

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Research:

[1] Health.gov. (2019). The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee | health.gov. [online] Available at: https://health.gov/our-work/physical-activity/current-guidelines/scientific-report [Accessed 8 Mar. 2019].

[2] Guthold, R., Stevens, G.A., Riley, L.M. and Bull, F.C. (2019). “Global trends in insufficient physical activity among adolescents: a pooled analysis of 298 population-based surveys with 1·6 million participants.” The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. [online] Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(19)30323-2/fulltext [Accessed 8 Feb. 2020].‌

[3] WHO | “Global recommendations on physical activity for health.” (2015). Who.int. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_recommendations/en/ [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019].

[4] “Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines and the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.” Health.Gov.Au, Australian Government Department of Health, 2019, www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines