from British Journal of Sports Medicine
There is a general belief that children get adequate amounts of physical exercise, but that exercise declines during the teen years. A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine challenges that belief. A long-term study shows physical activity in children starts to decline by age seven in both boys and girls. Four hundred children in the study wore small, light-weight portable monitors periodically at ages seven, nine, twelve and fifteen. Overall, the total amount of physical activity fell after age seven. The researchers observed there were exceptions, such as one in five boys managed moderate to vigorous physical activity all through the study. The new findings may help stress the importance of life-long physical activity.