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 Physical activity is important for all children’s development, but
those with disabilities rarely get the recommended 60 minutes per
day of exercise, researchers report in the journal Medicine and
Science in Sports and Exercise.
Children with severe intellectual disabilities had the least amount
of physical activity, compared with students with other types of
disabilities, the study team found.
“Physical inactivity is a serious global health problem and its
associations with obesity or obesity-related diseases are well
documented,” said lead author Cindy Sit of The Chinese University of
Hong Kong.
“Children with disabilities are less physically active, tend to
adopt a more sedentary lifestyle, and are at three to six times
greater risk for obesity,” Sit told Reuters Health by email.
The U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends that schools provide
children with at least half an hour of exercise during gym class.
To determine how much exercise kids with disabilities were getting
in school, the study team assessed 259 children aged 6 to 23 years
from 13 specialized schools in Hong Kong, collecting data on
exercise and time spent sitting throughout the day and particularly
during gym class, recess and lunchtime.
The children, whose disabilities included visual and hearing
impairments, physical and intellectual disabilities and social
development issues, wore accelerometers, devices that track
movement.
Researchers found that what kids did during recess, lunch and gym
class was a major determinant of children’s exercise and sitting
time totals for the day, with recess having the largest effect on
daily activity level.
Overall, children spent 70 percent of their day sitting or not
moving. Students spent one quarter of the day doing light physical
activity.
The children spent little time doing moderate to intense physical
activity, with an average of about 17 minutes per day. Students got
more minutes of exercise during gym class, about seven minutes, than
during lunch or recess.
Children with severe intellectual disabilities, particularly boys,
had especially low levels of physical activity.
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Jennifer Ryan, a senior lecturer at Brunel University in London, who
wasn't involved in the study, noted that the lack of exercise in gym
class suggests that schools are not providing the support students
need, whether this is more staff or assistive devices.
In addition to giving students support for more vigorous exercise,
schools can also help students reduce the amount of time they spend
sitting, Ryan told Reuters Health.
“Breaking up long periods of sitting with standing and walking can
have health benefits such as reducing blood pressure and reducing
body weight,” she said by email.
“Parents and children should know that it is very important for
children with disability to participate in physical activity
throughout their lives,” Ryan said.
Parents should not feel discouraged if a child does not like the
first activity they try and may need to find an instructor or club
that feels supportive, she added.
Sit said parents can encourage schools to provide more opportunities
for exercise, but noted, “schools cannot provide all the physical
activity that children need for growth, development, and health.”
Sit advised parents to limit children’s screen time and encourage
exercise at home, participating in the exercise with their children
if possible.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2dKMaN9 Medicine and Science in Sports and
Exercise, online September 16, 2016.
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