Children Need
More Exercise
By Gabe Mirkin,
M.D.
Children need at
least 90 minutes of exercise a day to avoid heart disease
when they are older, according to a new study reported in
Lancet (July 23, 2006). The old guidelines recommending 30
minutes of exercise three times a week, or even an hour a
day do not appear to be adequate for preventing obesity and
heart disease. Researchers used heart rate monitors to
measure the activity of 1700 nine- to-fifteen-year-olds in
Denmark, Estonia, and Portugal. They then calculated a
heart-attack risk score consisting of blood pressure,
cholesterol, insulin resistance, and skinfold thickness.
They compared physical activity from the heart rate monitors
with the heart attack risk-factor score and found that the
more active the child, the lower the heart attack risk
score. Many children who exercised for 60 minutes a day were
still overweight and had high heart attack risk scores. The
authors suggest that the lack of regular physical activity
is likely to mean that the children are spending too much
time watching TV, playing video and computer games, and
eating junk food. There is no reason to expect that the
results would be different with American children. The
current recommendation of at least an hour per day of
moderate activity in children may not be sufficient for
future heart health.
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has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing
physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in
four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen
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