What is Physical Activity?
Physical activity simply means movement of the body that uses energy. Walking, gardening, briskly pushing a baby stroller, climbing the stairs, playing soccer, or dancing the night away are all good examples of being active. For health benefits, physical activity should be moderate or vigorous intensity.
Physical activity simply means movement of the body that uses energy. Walking, gardening, briskly pushing a baby stroller, climbing the stairs, playing soccer, or dancing the night away are all good examples of being active. For health benefits, physical activity should be moderate or vigorous intensity.
How much physical activity do children need? Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of physical activity each day.
This may sound like a lot, but don't worry! Your child may already be meeting the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. And, you'll soon discover all the easy and enjoyable ways to help your child meet the recommendations. Encourage your child to participate in activities that are age-appropriate, enjoyable and offer variety! Just make sure your child or adolescent is doing three types of physical activity:
1. Aerobic Activity Aerobic activity should make up most of your child's 60 or more minutes of physical activity each day. This can include either moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or vigorous-intensity activity, such as running. Be sure to include vigorous-intensity aerobic activity on at least 3 days per week.
2. Muscle Strengthening Include muscle strengthening activities, such as gymnastics or push-ups, at least 3 days per week as part of your child's 60 or more minutes.
3. Bone Strengthening Include bone strengthening activities, such as jumping rope or running, at least 3 days per week as part of your child's 60 or more minutes.
How do I know if my child's aerobic activity is moderate- or vigorous-intensity? Here are two ways to think about moderate- and vigorous-intensity:
- As a rule of thumb, on a scale of 0 to 10, where sitting is a 0 and the highest level of activity is a 10, moderate-intensity activity is a 5 or 6. When your son does moderate-intensity activity, his heart will beat faster than normal and he will breathe harder than normal. Vigorous-intensity activity is a level 7 or 8. When your son does vigorous-intensity activity, his heart will beat much faster than normal and he will breathe much harder than normal.
- Another way to judge intensity is to think about the activity your child is doing and compare it to the average child. What amount of intensity would the average child use? For example, when your daughter walks to school with friends each morning, she's probably doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity. But while she is at school, when she runs, or chases others by playing tag during recess, she's probably doing vigorous-intensity activity.
Information for this section was off the CDC website; web address below:
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/children.html
Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. According to the CDC website it can help:
- Control your weight
- Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease
- Reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
- Reduce your risk of some cancers
- Strengthen your bones and muscles
- Improve your mental health and mood
- Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you're an older adult
- Increase your chances of living longer
Click on any of the benefits above for more information straight from the CDC site.
NHES Standard One: Comprehend Concepts- Students will comprehend concepts related to health prevention to enhance health.
Standard Three: Access Information- Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health.