Make no bones about it exercise is good for kids

Nov 27 2007 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

CHILDREN who do more exercise have stronger bones, new research today reveals.

Experts believe that parents should be doing more to encourage their children to be more active and help prevent debilitating bone disease later in life.

The research, carried out by researchers at Southampton University, found that children who were more physically active had more robust skeletons.

The team compared the average amount of physical activity of 200 four-year-olds with the strength of their bones.

Project manager Dr Nick Harvey of the MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, said, “Evidence suggests that it is likely that the better your bones are when you are young, the better they will be when you are older.

“So more physical activity as a child could potentially mean stronger bones in old age.”

The research, which will be presented at the National Osteoporosis Society’s conference in Edinburgh today, follows previous studies which have found that 90 minutes of “moderate intensity exercise a day” will help children overcome all the risk factors for heart disease.

But only 41% of primary school children and a quarter of secondary school children in Wales achieve the current hour- a-day target.

Sarah Leyland, an NOS spokeswoman, said, “Parents should encourage their children to choose the active option whenever possible. Walking short distances instead of sitting in the buggy and playing in the garden or park instead of watching TV are just a couple of ideas to help small children to become more active.”