Preschoolers should do three hours of physical activity each day – Quartz

Even preschoolers do not do enough exercise in America.

For the first time, the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) has issued federal guidelines on physical activity, fitness and health, which include specific recommendations for children with disabilities. Preschool aged three to five years old. The 2018 Guidelines for Physical Activity for Americans, published this week (November 12), are the result of 21 months of research by an advisory committee of 17 non-federal experts in physical activity and health.

The guidelines recommend that preschoolers be physically active for at least three hours a day. But the average American preschooler does not meet this standard, according to available data. For example, a 2015 Pediatrics study looked at 98 preschool children in 10 daycares in Seattle and found that they averaged only 48 minutes of exercise a day. This is bad news for children and their caregivers.

Encourage children to be active

American children, including preschool children, are becoming more sedentary, which can have devastating consequences on their physical and mental health. Childhood obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lack of physical activity among children and adolescents can increase their risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, low bone densities, endometrial and lung cancers. There is also an important link between daily physical activity and higher grades, school attendance, and cognitive skills such as memory or concentration.

In early childhood, before the child reaches the age of six, these consequences can be even more serious. These are the years that lay the foundation for healthy physical and emotional development in adulthood. A growing body of research has highlighted the specific benefits of physical activity in young children, including healthier growth, better bone and heart health, and better social and cognitive skills. That's why the American Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that parents and caregivers help "encourage and encourage young children to be physically active and to engage youth in physical activity." regular. "

The best way to do this is to encourage young children to play. Play can help children develop functional skills in language, cognition and functioning, as well as teach them to interact in groups. But it's also important because it makes kids more active and helps them develop their creativity and imagination. The game is so crucial, in fact, that in a recent policy report, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested that pediatricians actually prescribe it. And if we rely on the latest guidelines for Americans, these prescriptions are more urgent than ever.

Learn more about our series on the rewiring of childhood. This report is part of a series funded by a grant from the Bernard van Leer Foundation. The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of the Bernard van Leer Foundation.