Does your child get enough exercise at preschool?
The rate of childhood obesity has risen significantly in the US, with many children becoming overweight at younger ages. At the same time, the number of preschoolers in center-based programs is also on the rise. Now a new study finds that, contrary to conventional wisdom, preschoolers don't move around a lot, even when they’re playing outside.
The study looked at 3, 4, and 5 year olds enrolled in 24 community-based preschool programs and found that the preschoolers were inactive for much of their preschool day, with 89% of physical activity characterized as sedentary. Even when they played outside, a time when children are expected to move around, 56% of their activities were sedentary. Furthermore, teachers very rarely encouraged the children to be physically active. But when balls and other items were made available, especially outside, and when they had open spaces in which to play, the children were more likely to be active.
“The low levels of children’s activity and the lack of adult encouragement point to a need for teachers to organize, model, and encourage physical activity,” says lead study author William H Brown, a professor in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina. “Because children’s health and physical wellbeing are an important part of development, their physical activity needs to be increased in order to promote healthy lifestyles, particularly for preschoolers who are growing up in low-income families and who are at greater risk for poor health outcomes.”
Best thing you can do? Ask how much outside time your preschooler and his classmates get during the day and whether any organized games that involve movement, such as tag or hopscotch, are played. Does your child’s preschool have outdoor play equipment, such as jungle gyms, slides and swings? If not, speak to the principal to ask about fundraising to purchase these. And use your weekends to ensure your kids get as much time as possible running around in the fresh air.
The study was published in the January/February 2009 issue of the journal Child Development.