Exercise at school ‘improves kids’ fitness’
February 24th, 2010 - 4:54 pm ICT by ANILondon, Feb 24 (ANI): A new Swiss study has found that stretching the PE lessons at school and assigning kids a ten minute exercise homework can improve their fitness.
The study has appeared online in the British Medical Journal.
The research showed that children who exercised more at school and during homework were fitter and put on less weight than others.
The research, which lasted a year, compared the health of children given extra exercise with their counterparts on the standard three lessons a week programme.
It was seen that children aged seven and 11 who did the extra exercise could run the equivalent of 20 seconds faster, their body fat as measured by skinfold thickness was 2mm less and their body mass index improved.
However, there was no major shift in overall daily physical activity and quality of life.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study of a school based, long term physical activity intervention that documents beneficial changes in all these parameters,” the Telegraph quoted lead author Susi Kriemler, assistant professor for paediatric sports medicine in the Institute of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Basel, in Switzerland, as writing.
Kriemler added: “Our study was a demanding “real life” intervention trial, in which we successfully increased physical activity, thereby achieving multiple beneficial health effects.” (ANI)
- Physical activity at school keeps child fit - Feb 24, 2010
- 30-second bursts of exercise may help fight childhood obesity - Jan 11, 2011
- Regular exercise improves overweight kids' math skills - Feb 11, 2011
- Video games help lower diabetes, obesity risks in kids - Dec 07, 2010
- All study, no play making your Jack a dull boy: Study - Jan 03, 2012
- Physical education improves health in low-income adolescents - Nov 06, 2009
- Sprints better than marathon for heart health - Apr 06, 2011
- Aerobic exercise beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis patients - Jun 25, 2010
- Combining physical activity with classroom lessons improves academics - May 02, 2011
- Obese children likely to have stiffer arteries - Apr 13, 2010
- Daily exercise at school benefits kids from lower socioeconomic status - Nov 18, 2009
- Kids watching TV for hours? Beware of health risks - Apr 21, 2011
- Tai chi benefits people with chronic heart failure - Apr 26, 2011
- Focus on how, not why, to increase physical activity - Feb 18, 2011
- Lifestyle intervention helps preschoolers reduce body fat, improve fitness - Jun 23, 2010
Tags: assistant professor, beneficial changes, body mass index, british medical journal, counterparts, health effects, health sciences university, homework, intervention trial, kids fitness, london feb, minute exercise, parameters, pe lessons, physical activity, quality of life, sports medicine, swiss study, telegraph, university of basel