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CHICAGO (AP) – Move more, sit down and get kids active as young as age 3, say new federal guidelines that stress that any amount and any type of exercise helps health.
The advice is the first update since the government's physical activity guidelines came out a decade ago. Since then, the list of benefits of exercise has grown, and there are more evidence
"Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, a preventive medicine expert at Northwestern University in Chicago, said:" Doing something is better than doing nothing, and doing more is better than doing something.
Only 20 percent of Americans get enough exercise now, and the childhood obesity problem has become easier.
Highlights of the advice released Monday at the American Heart Association Conference in Chicago and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association:
CHILDREN AND TEENS
The biggest change: Start young. Guidelines used to begin at age 6, but the new ones say the preschoolers aged 3 through 5 should be encouraged to take part in active play throughout the day. They do not call for a certain amount of money. That's consistent with guidelines in many other countries and is the average amount of activity observed in this age.
From ages 6 through 17, at least an hour of moderate-to-vigorous activity throughout the day is recommended. Most of it should be aerobic, biking or running. At least three times a week, exercise should be vigorous and include muscle-and-bone-strengthening activities like climbing on playground equipment or playing sports.
ADULTS
Duration stays the same – at least 2½ to 5 hours of moderate-intensity or 1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours of vigorous activity at week, plus at least two days that include muscle-strengthening exercise like pushups or face lift weights.
One key change: It used to be thought that aerobic activity had to be done for at least 10 minutes. Now even short times are known to help. Even a single episode of activity gives such lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety and improving sleep.
Sitting a lot is especially harmful.
The advice is for adults, but activities should include
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER E
Dr. Valentin Fuster, a cardiologist at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, has been working with the Heart Association and Sesame Workshop, producers of television's "Sesame Street."
At the heart conference, he gave results of an intensive four-month program to improve knowledge and attitudes towards exercise and health among 562 kids ages 3 to 5 in Head Start preschools in Harlem.
"It was really successful," Fuster said. "Once they understand how the body works, they begin to understand physical activity" and its importance.
When brains are young, "it's the best opportunity" to set health habits that last, he said.
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