The Benefits of Physically Active Kids

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SECTION 3: Measured Physical Activity Stops Obesity & Early Chronic Diseases (ECD) in Children

FIGURE 9: Measuring Effects of Physical Activity. The only scientifically accurate method to measure and determine the effectiveness of school-based physical activity is to use heart rate monitors.

Source: Beth Kirkpatrick & Burton H. Birnbaum, Lessons From the Heart, 1997

Chronic conditions such as obesity and heart disease begin early in life. Physical activity reduces the number of children beginning to suffer from their effects.² Regular, measured exercise along with proper diet reverses the damage caused by ECD.³⁸ When children remain physically active, they also reduce the likelihood that these lifestyle-related diseases will afflict them as adults.

Importance of Regular, Aerobic Activity

Vigorous, regular, aerobic activity (activity that sustains elevated heart rate) provides the full health benefits of exercise. Only aerobic and weight-bearing activity elevates the children's heart rates sufficient to improve cardiovascular health, increase bone mass, and decrease the risk for obesity and ECD.

Regular, aerobic activity has been shown to be most effective in improving health and fighting the effects of ECD:

Children who participate in regular aerobic activity reduce their risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD)⁵
Overweight and normal weight children show significant reductions in heart disease risk markers with regular aerobic exercise³⁹
High-risk children who participate in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week have significant improvements in cholesterol levels⁴⁰
Children with high blood pressure who participate in aerobic activity realize a decrease in blood pressure compared with affected children in a standard PE class²¹
Weight-bearing aerobic exercises ensure optimal bone mass formation, especially during pre-pubertal growth spurts³⁰

As aerobic fitness improves, children are better able to play exercise games and sports. As cardiac function becomes more efficient during physical activity, students more easily develop and maintain skill levels. Conversely, those with poor aerobic capacity soon become "winded" and unable to keep up. Their progress in developing motor skills stalls, they become discouraged, and they drop out of activity.

Vigorous Physical Activity Prevents Diabetes

One in four children and one in five teens who are overweight or obese have Type 2 Diabetes.⁴¹ As the number of overweight and obese children increases, so does the number of children at high risk for the disease. Since diabetes is lifestyle based, the best methods for prevention, control, and treatment are improved diet and increased exercise.⁴² Achieving blood sugar control by lifestyle changes such as increased physical activity is shown to reduce insulin resistance and, thereby, diabetes risk.⁴²

Physical activity lowers the risks for diabetes:43

Reduces or reverses weight gain
Lowers insulin resistance
Normalizes blood sugar
Reduces blood pressure
Decreases total cholesterol

When children stop exercising, improvements gained by proper physical activity are lost.⁴⁴

Appropriate Physical Activity Lowers Body Mass Index (BMI)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses Body Mass Index (BMI) tables, a measurement based on height and weight, to identify children who are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. A high BMI suggests increased risk for many weight-related diseases such as high blood pressure.²⁶ Currently 15% of 6 to 19-year old children are at or above the 95th percentile for BMI, the point at which the child is considered obese. Minority and economically disadvantaged children suffer even higher rates.²³

Regular physical activity improves BMI and body composition in children with obesity,⁴⁵ lowering a child's risk for weight-related diseases. Even a small reduction in BMI brought about by weight loss significantly lowers a child's disease risk and increases the child's immediate well-being. Children who increase their physical activity only slightly can experience about a 10% lower risk of having a high BMI.¹

Vigorous Physical Activity Prevents Cardiovascular Disease

While CVD is primarily manifest in adulthood, increasing evidence indicates overweight, obesity, and artery damage begin early in life.⁴⁶ In fact, fatty arterial streaks and other damage have been found in individuals as young as six years old.²⁰ About 61% of overweight 5- to 10-year-old children already have one or more signs of cardiovascular disease including high blood fats, high blood pressure, or high insulin level; over 20% have two or more of these risk factors.¹⁹ When children are obese, they are more susceptible to artery damage, including thickening of the artery wall that marks the beginning of heart disease. The most effective prescription for preventing cardiovascular disease is regular physical activity.² School-based programs have proven successful in improving cardiovascular health.¹⁹

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