To Your Health
October, 2023 (Vol. 17, Issue 10) |
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Why Kids Need Exercise
By Editorial Staff
A considerable body of research supports the mental and physical health benefits of physical activity for young and old. The research base also suggests a clear connection between stress and poor health, particularly chronic stress that remains unresolved over time.
Fortunately, research also points to exercise as a great way to combat stress, and children – who are under increasingly damaging levels of stress these days – are no exception.
Researchers exposed children ages 10-13 to a stress-inducing scenario in a controlled experiment in which they were given inadequate time to prepare for a presentation. They repeated the experiment, but with no pressure to perform, and took saliva samples on both occasions to compare levels of cortisol – the so-called "stress hormone." (The body produces cortisol in response to stress.)
Prior to the stress test, the researchers also tracked the children's physical activity for one week via a wearable sensor that tracked their daily movement. Children who were more physically active (more than an hour per day) had lower cortisol levels than children who were less active. Study findings were published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
There's no negative to consistent physical activity, and with children increasingly participating in non-active pursuits (namely playing games or using social media on their phones, tablets and/or laptops), it's high time for a reminder of the power of physical activity to help shape physical and mental health. It's a win-win for your children's healthy future
