Are You Wrong About Your Childs Fitness Level?
It looks like parents are getting it wrong when they say how much exercise their kids are getting, according to a report by the British Heart Foundation. Approximately 70% of the parents questioned believed that their kids were getting the recommended daily amount of exercise whereas, when the children were questioned, it appeared that only around 10% of them believed they were getting enough exercise, which is a worrying trend.
The BHF say parents need to stop fooling themselves and start taking action to prevent their kids becoming obese, and local councils have been urged to improve the quality of local sports facilities and put on more events to encourage children to exercise. The incidence of obesity in children between 8 and 14 years has risen alarmingly since the 1990s according to a new report, and the Foundation claims that urgent action needs to be taken to prevent a generation of Couch Kids (as they are called) growing up and becoming obese adults.
Recommendations include standardised guidelines on how much exercise children should be getting, and urges schools to increase the opportunities for physical activities on a daily basis, such as games lessons on more days of the week. At home, parents are encouraged to bring back more of the traditional activities with their families such as going for a walk together or going to the park to play football instead of sitting together in front of the TV or computer. The Department of Health has backed these calls by stating that dealing with obesity in childhood is a major government priority.
Other posts of interest:
Home Fitness Equipment – What’s available and what works?
Ab Exercise Equipment – What you need to know if you don’t want to be ripped off.