74% of Kids Don’t Get Enough Exercise

Results of a recent YMCA’s Family Health Snapshot survey reveal 74 percent of children ages 5 to 10 do not get the recommend 60 minutes of daily physical activity, and only 15 percent of U.S. parents consider overall physical health as the top concern for their children.

The findings suggest lack of physical activity increasing obesity and chronic disease risk in children. According to the survey of more than 1,600 parents with children between the ages of 5 and 10, the economy has created financial challenges and time constraints that make it difficult for many families to carve out time for physical activity and to provide a healthy home environment.

The survey also found 74 percent of parents opt to spend family time with their kids sitting in front of the TV, while 42 percent of parents say technology is getting in the way of active play, although 53 percent admit they spend leisure time with their children on the computer and playing video games. Data also revealed 58 percent of children ages 5 to 10 spend less than four days a week playing outdoors.

On April 16, YMCA will celebrate the 20th anniversary of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day™– an event that reminds parents that health and well-being is vital to ensuring that children reach their full potential, and that being active can be as simple as making a play date with their kids. Healthy Kids Day is the nation’s largest health day for kids, celebrated by more than 1,600 Ys across the country.

“The Y knows parents struggle to find the time and resources to incorporate physical activity and healthier habits into their kids’ daily routine," said Lynne Vaughan, senior vice president and chief innovation officer at Y-USA. “But getting active doesn’t have to require a lot of time and resources. The Y created Healthy Kids Day to encourage active play and inspire a lifetime love of physical activity that’s easy and accessible for today’s families."

Sources:

* YMCA of the USA: YMCA Survey Finds U.S. Parents Not Making Kids’ Health Top Priority