Three-fourths of children across the United States aren’t getting the recommended physical activity per week, according to a report card released this month by the National Physical Activity Plan Alliance.
The study drew on a range of data, including a national survey that used accelerometers, which are devices that measure students’ actual activity. The report estimates that just over one-fifth of children and youths between ages 6 and 19 participated in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise at least five days per week. More boys (26 percent) met the recommendations than girls (16.9 percent), but as children grow older, there’s a significant decline in physical activity across genders. The authors recommend that schools, preschools, and child-care centers work to increase physical-activity opportunities among their students.
