Active Moms = Active Kids

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likitisplit
likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
This came from Runners World via the LDR group.

Mothers who run may not only improve their own health, but the health of their children.

A recent study finds that mothers who are physically active are likely to have children who are also active.

The study, conducted by researchers from Cambridge and Southhampton universities, showed that, “The more activity a mother did, the more active her child,” Kathryn Hesketh, who co-led the study, said in a BBC news report. “Although it is not possible to tell from this study whether active children were making mothers run around after them, it is likely that activity in one of the pair influences activity in the other.”

To conduct the study, researchers had 554 4-year-olds and their mothers wear lightweight heart-rate monitors/accelerometers on their chest for up to seven days.

According to the BBC report, the study showed that for every minute the mother was moderately-to-vigorously active, the child was likely to engage in 10 percent more of the same level of activity. "If a mother was one hour less sedentary per day, her child may have spent 10 minutes less sedentary per day," the report said. "Such small minute-by-minute differences therefore represents a non-trival amount of activity over the course of a week, month and year."

It also stated that every hour of sendentary time in mothers would result in 10.8 minutes of sedentary time for children.

The study found that only 53 percent of the mothers engaged in 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at least once a week. Whether or not the mother worked or if the child had brothers or sister could influence the mother's activity level.

The study concludes that encouraging mothers to be more active will likely increase the activity of their children.

"Providing targeted interventions for mothers of young children may increase both groups’ activity," the report says.

Replies

  • romyhorse
    romyhorse Posts: 694 Member
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    There is definitely some truth in this. My oldest daughter is the least active of my children and when she was younger I was busy with 2 babies under 2 years old so she got to watch more TV and play on the computer than the younger 2 do. When the 2 younger ones got older we did a lot of walking and hiking, but by this time my oldest was into her tweenage years and thought it was lame. But I've always been pretty strict with them, they have to do at least one exercise activity and one learning activity a week. My oldest daughter does the bare minimum, one dance class and a young leader at Rainbows, whereas my youngest does 3 dance classes, netball, swimming (occasionally runs with me) and is a Brownie (soon to be a Guide) and helps out at Rainbows. She never used to be this active but ever since I banned her from watching American kids TV shows she filled her time with more beneficial activities! In fact she is the only one in the family with a gym membership, and she's only 10!
  • bttrthanevr
    bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
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    My kids are certainly more active as a result of my new activity. I wish I had gotten this started years ago, before they entered into the dreaded teen and tween years. Being a teen creates an incredible inertia. Still, they walk and run with me and two are on the track team this year. :-)! I think my daughter would have been on the team regardless, but my son was encouraged by our runs together. Also, I think that exercise seems more a "normal" part of life, like brushing your teeth before bed, and is infinitely more accessible if Mom or Dad do it.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    There is definitely some truth in this. My oldest daughter is the least active of my children and when she was younger I was busy with 2 babies under 2 years old so she got to watch more TV and play on the computer than the younger 2 do. When the 2 younger ones got older we did a lot of walking and hiking, but by this time my oldest was into her tweenage years and thought it was lame. But I've always been pretty strict with them, they have to do at least one exercise activity and one learning activity a week. My oldest daughter does the bare minimum, one dance class and a young leader at Rainbows, whereas my youngest does 3 dance classes, netball, swimming (occasionally runs with me) and is a Brownie (soon to be a Guide) and helps out at Rainbows. She never used to be this active but ever since I banned her from watching American kids TV shows she filled her time with more beneficial activities! In fact she is the only one in the family with a gym membership, and she's only 10!

    Love it!
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    My kids are certainly more active as a result of my new activity. I wish I had gotten this started years ago, before they entered into the dreaded teen and tween years. Being a teen creates an incredible inertia. Still, they walk and run with me and two are on the track team this year. :-)! I think my daughter would have been on the team regardless, but my son was encouraged by our runs together. Also, I think that exercise seems more a "normal" part of life, like brushing your teeth before bed, and is infinitely more accessible if Mom or Dad do it.

    I agree. I was doing squats yesterday and really working it. I mentioned to Nina how hard it was and realized that was something that took my years to learn: that people who do things like that do them despite how hard they are, not because they are magically easier for some people.
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
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    I certainly wish I had become more active when I was younger and the kids were small. Daughter just turned 13 and refuses to run. Son is 10 and has been running with me or his friends for almost a year.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    You'll get another shot at daughter in college.
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
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    You'll get another shot at daughter in college.

    If I don't shoot her before she starts college--just joking :embarassed: . I hate teenager attitude.