The physical health of the American population as a whole leaves much to be desired, with cardiovascular disease being the main cause of death in 2022. Young people often think they have nothing to worry about when their bodies are strong, fit, and full of energy. However, for that shape to last, you need to stay active.
In the US, physical activity in schools is not controlled by the federal government. Most state-wide policies mandate the inclusion of Physical Education into the curriculum. Nevertheless, details like time spent exercising and intensity levels are often barely regulated, if regulated at all.
That leaves schools, parents, and students to fend for themselves. Luckily, institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide physical activity statistics and recommendations for kids and adolescents. Relying on these recommendations, you are almost guaranteed to stay fit and healthy.
CDC Recommendations
Children and adolescents fall under different age groups, and hence, should adhere to different regimens in terms of sports. Let's focus on CDC recommendations for physical activity first:
- At least an hour of exercise every day
- Most of that time should be spent on aerobic activity
- High-intensity exercise is recommended three times a week, with a combination of bone- and muscle-strengthening activities
For adolescents, slightly different rules apply. As children get older, they need less sleep and are less likely to engage in activity disguised as play. As a result, they need more sports to stay healthy and fit.
- At least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity activity every week
- It's essential to do strength training at least twice a week
- A general recommendation is to engage in more physical activity throughout the day and to reduce sitting time
These recommendations are fairly simple. Still, following them is harder than it looks.
Why Is Physical Activity Important?
Regular and sufficient physical activity is important for one's health and fitness. In children, it helps develop strength and stamina, which are necessary to be able to sustain prolonged physical and mental effort in other life activities they do. Exercise also increases daily energy expenditure. In the long run, it improves fitness in children and adolescents, helping them maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity.
From a mental health perspective, physical activity is a natural and powerful mood lifter. During exercise, our brains release chemicals associated with well-being and happiness, such as endorphin, dopamine, and serotonin. A regular surge in these chemicals can help students maintain their stress levels low, develop a positive outlook, and reduce the symptoms of mental health disorders (if any) like anxiety and depression.
Additionally, exercise improves sleep quality and gives an energy boost. When done regularly, it improves mood and cognitive functions. It has been shown to improve concentration, memory, and recall, which are critical for academic success. Besides, it can also improve one's self-confidence.
Benefits of Physical Activity
There's no denying that everyone should be active and participate in sports to live a long, happy life. Still, not everyone realizes just how critical it is to spend enough time being active during the day.
First of all, by staying active, you can support your cardiovascular system and improve blood circulation. When your heart muscle strengthens, you can get benefits like lower blood pressure, healthy cholesterol levels, and flexible arteries. This reduces the risks of developing heart disease and other cardiovascular problems.
Next, you get stronger bones and joints. Weight-bearing workouts are amazing for that. With improved bone density and joint flexibility, the risks of getting injured become much lower. In the long run, it also reduces the likelihood of osteoporosis.
Another benefit is better immune function. Regular physical activity allows your body to produce and circulate immune cells. It becomes easier to reduce inflammation. And that's not all, it can also help you control your blood sugar levels. In turn, this decreases your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.
We all know about obesity and the complications it can cause. Regular exercise is crucial for weight control. By balancing energy use with the calories you consume, you can prevent fat buildup and boost your metabolism.
Consequences of Inadequate Physical Activity
Despite CDC recommendations, national surveys reveal low engagement rates in physical activity:
- Less than 24% of children between 6 and 17 engage in 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
- Only 26.1% of high school students reported having at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day of the previous week.
- Only slightly over half of high school students (51.1%) reported engaging in muscle-strengthening exercises at least 3 days during the previous week.
Furthermore, physical activity participation tends to decline in children as they age. In the long run, this can cause the following consequences:
- Being overweight - Increasing physical inactivity can greatly decrease adolescents' energy expenditure, causing weight gain. Combined with environmental and nutritional factors, this can increase risks for obesity.
- Risk of chronic diseases - A lack of activity can lead to an overall poor health status in students. It also increases the risk of acquiring chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
- Premature deaths - Lastly, physical inactivity has been associated with a heightened risk of dying prematurely. This can be caused by heart disease and related health issues.
These are the key reasons for improving physical activity statistics in schools.
Recommendations for Improving Physical Activity in Schools
In order to support children's and adolescents' health, schools need to create the right conditions that would help students engage in the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity daily. CDC recommends implementing a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) approach to accomplish this.
This framework spans five essential components to make students more active:
- Physical education - First and foremost, schools need to create a planned and well-curated physical education curriculum that meets the national standards and recommendations.
- Physical activity during school - This component implies integrating different physical activities beyond the classroom, such as lunchtime activities, recess, etc.
- Physical activity before and after school - This part of CSPAP encourages schools to organize engaging events that take place outside of school hours and involve physical activity. For example, clubs and intramurals can help increase everyday activity.
- Staff involvement - CDC and SHAPE America recommend that schools engage staff members to participate in school-time and extracurricular events that involve physical activity to promote interest in students.
- Family and community involvement - Last but not least, it's recommended to engage parents and larger communities in different extracurricular events. This should help shape a stronger culture of physical activity in students, even beyond school.
Recommendations for Parents
Students spend most of their time at school. Thus, the approach schools take has a massive impact on their culture of physical activity. Nevertheless, families can also support the formation of this culture and help ensure greater activity in children and adolescents beyond school walls.
Parents should encourage physical activity. There are three essential recommendations for parent involvement:
- Encouragement - According to experts, parents have a decisive role in creating and supporting students' interest in sports and any other kind of physical activity. Parents should set a positive example and encourage their kids to participate in sports.
- Routine - Proper routine organization is pivotal for creating an environment in which students will stay active and get enough rest on a daily basis. To accomplish this, parents should establish a fixed sleep and activity routine and make sure that kids adhere to it.
- Thoughtful limitations - Video games, social networks, and gadgets are among the biggest distractions that can make kids stay in for an entire day without even noticing. This can have a negative impact not only on the physical activity rate but also on sleep, brain development, and mental well-being of children. To prevent damage, parents should implement thoughtful screen time limitations.
Conclusion
Physical activity for children is one of the cornerstones of their development. The educational system and parent involvement play crucial roles in helping young people maintain an active lifestyle and build positive habits.
Facts from the CDC and other sources show that there's a need to rethink our approach to student health because neglecting this part of life can lead to serious consequences, like chronic diseases.
By building a healthy school environment and planning activities for students beyond school, we can help them improve their physical shape, mental health, and even grades, since physical activity supports cognitive abilities as well.