Body Fat Percentage Older Men

Recent research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2009 has demonstrated that kids who are physically active when they are young are more apt to stay lean even if they don’t remain as active later on. This effect has been termed the ‘banking effect’ of activity in children. The study used a tool to measure the activity of over 300 children and followed the children for three to five years. Body fat, bone and muscle were measured during this time. The results revealed that there was a positive effect of physical activity during the youngest years of a child’s life that carried over into later ages. The research suggests that even an extra ten minutes a day of physical activity can be protective against fat gains.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is not the same as physical fitness. Physical activity can be defined as many of the activities that a child normally does throughout the course of their day. The three key areas that should occur are activities that involve aerobic activity, muscle toning and bone strength. Examples of these activities for a five year old might include walking, climbing and swinging on the jungle gym, playing ball, jumping rope, bicycling and running.