Kids Tend To Become Sluggish By Age 15

A new research has brought forth an alarming trend which says that by the age of 15 physical activity in kids drops way below than what is actually recommended, i.e. 60 minutes a day for good health.

The research, which was conducted by Philip R. Nader, MD, professor emeritus of paediatrics at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla along with his colleagues, took into account physical activity data of more than 1000 children. These children participated in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. They were provided with accelerometers which were tied to their bodies with the help of belts. These devices helped to get a record of their minute by minute movement.

The researchers kept records of children beginning at age 9 and then at ages 11, 12 and 15. They found that at age 9, the kids were doing a good amount of physical activity, which was about 3 hours a day of moderate as well as vigorous work. But by the time they reach the age of 15, on an average they did only 49 minutes of physical activity.

The data showed that more than 90% of the kids met the required level of 60 minutes at ages 9 and 11. But by the age of 15, only 31% met this level on weekdays and only 17% on weekends.

The study, which has been published in ‘The Journal of the American Medical Association’, however has one glitch. The kids didn’t wear the devices while playing contact sports or when swimming. So, that much time of engaging in a physical activity might have been left out.

But nevertheless, Nader says that even this is not likely to be a befitting answer to the dramatic decrease in the overall activity. In girls, the decline has been reported around the age of 13.1 and 14.7 in case of boys.

Commenting on the reasons for a decline in physical activity, Nader said that it’s a combined effect of many things. He said that kids don’t venture out much these days because of safety concerns. Also, there are many electronic gadgets available at their disposal which tends to make them physically inactive.

Eve Kutchman, MEd, an exercise physiologist and coordinator for Healthy Kids, Healthy Weights, says that parents must find an engaging physical activity for their children. And if possible, they must themselves become a part of it, so that the children find it more interesting.