Children growing weaker as computers replace outdoor activity
Modern life is ‘producing a generation of weaklings’, claims research as physical strength declines in 10-year-olds
A shift away from outdoor activities has made children weaker compared to previous generations, research reveals. Photograph: Andrew Payne /Alamy
Children are becoming weaker, less muscular and unable to do physical tasks that previous generations found simple, research has revealed.
As a generation dedicated to online pursuits grows up, 10-year-olds can do fewer sit-ups and are less able to hang from wall bars in a gym. Arm strength has declined in that age group, as has their ability to grip an object firmly.
The findings, published in the child health journal Acta Paediatrica, have led to fresh concern about the impact on children’s health caused by the shift away from outdoor activities.
Academics led by Dr Gavin Sandercock, a children’s fitness expert at Essex University, studied how strong a group of 315 Essex 10-year-olds in 2008 were compared with 309 children the same age in 1998. They found that:
The number of sit-ups 10-year-olds can do declined by 27.1% between 1998 and 2008
Arm strength fell by 26% and grip strength by 7%
While one in 20 children in 1998 could not hold their own weight when hanging from wall bars, one in 10 could not do so in 2008.
Children’s Activity Holidays
Memories that your children will savour forever
Cast your mind back to the carefree days of childhood and family holidays full of fun and laughter. Live them again with your own children and share their wonder. In the beautiful setting of the forest, even simple activities take on a new dimension. Let the magic rub off and see their confidence grow.
A Children’s Activity Holiday at Center Parcs will give the whole family the chance to spend precious time together, as well as quenching your children’s enormous thirst for the sort of non-stop fun that can leave adults trailing in their wake. Thankfully, we believe in looking after everybody, which means that when you need a little time to yourself, there are plenty of supervised activities for the children to get their teeth into while you sneak off for some downtime.
Take the Time Out Clubhouse, for example. Here, your kids will make new friends of their own age and take part in expertly organised activities that will develop their creativity, satisfy their curiosity and keep them amused while you head for the Aqua Sana Spa or just enjoy a little peace and quiet.
Indoors and outdoors, we can create a children’s activity holiday that your kids will remember for a lifetime. From soccer skills training, abseiling, horse riding, canoeing and paintballing, to movie making, arts and crafts, fashion and DJing, there’s something for every age and temperament. Letting your youngsters off the leash has never been safer and more fun, and at Center Parcs it forms a natural counterpoint to the time you’ll spend together, making memories that will last forever.
Physical Activity and Children
AHA Scientific Position
Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for developing coronary artery disease. It also increases the risk of stroke and such other major cardiovascular risk factors as obesity, high blood pressure, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol and diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends that children and adolescents participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.
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