Teens worldwide aren't getting enough exercise -- especially girls
NPR · Jonathan Lambert ·
A new study looks at the recommended amount of daily exercise for adolescents — and how few are getting it.
The World Health Organization recommends adolescents spend at least one hour a day exercising enough to basically break a sweat — a brisk walk or a more intense pick-up soccer game. Lot's of research suggests this level of activity is crucial for supporting growing bodies and minds.
But new global data suggests only a small minority of kids and teens get that much. In fact, one in four report not hitting 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise any day of the week, according to a new study in The Lancet Global Health. Girls, as well as adolescents from middle- and lower-income countries reported even lower levels of exercise.
"The findings are disappointing, because one of the major results is that the trend over the last 15 years is flat," says Fiona Bull, head of the physical activity unit at the World Health Organization, who co-authored the study. "These data are a call for us to relook at what we're doing. Business as usual will not change these trends."