Cardiologists recommend that parents encourage exercise among their children

Must move. Any excuse is good to get up from the couch, go out the door and practice some kind of activity. Stroll, skate, ride a bike, sign up for dance classes; All these options are valid and if they are also practiced as a family, much better. This is what the Spanish Heart Foundation, FEC, which recommends parents to encourage exercise among their children from a very early age.

85% do not meet the minimum

FEC recommends parents turn to the exercise of their children for a simple reason: minors in Spain do not practice it regularly. This is clear from the poll that this body has made, together with the World Heart Federation and Union of European Football Associations, within the 'Childen in the City' campaign that aims to analyze the lifestyle of younger generations.


This study reveals that the 85% of children in Spain do not comply with the time Daily exercise recommended by the World Health Organization for children between 5 and 17 years. This physical activity has been changed by other less healthy practices as revealed in one of the videos released by this body and where it is proven how sedentary lifestyle is widespread in Spain.

Watching TV or being with the computer have become the most activities carried out by children in their afternoons, leaving aside other healthier practices such as going out to play with friends. The solution? Less sofas and screens and more life in the Exterior from home when there is free time.


Dangers of sedentary lifestyle Sedentary is a great risk to health. FEC alerts that in the world at least the 6% of deaths in the world they are related to the physical inactivity of people. Not moving increases the probability of suffering from a cardiovascular disease, which means the death of 117,000 individuals in Spain every year.

From the WHO It also warns of the dangers that sedentary lifestyle can have depending on the age of the people:

In early childhood:

- Preschoolers with inactive parents are much less likely to be active and therefore to maintain a health lifestyle with long-term dangers.

- Two more days than the average number of students are missing from school.

In adolescence:

- The lower physical activity is associated with lower academic performance.


In adulthood:

- One more week a year of sick leave due to illness.

- Higher healthcare costs.

- Increase in premature deaths.

- Descent of up to five years of life expectancy.

Help from parents

Parents have the key to solve the sedentary lifestyle of their children. Preaching by example and encouraging physical activity in their offspring is of vital importance so that they begin in the exercise and thus prevent any long-term health problem. Although as reflected in the survey conducted by FEC, much remains to be done among Spanish families.

A 23% of children Participants in this study reveal that you need your father's help when it comes to practicing some exercise. More serious still is that 17% of the minors interviewed affirm that they have never done any physical activity with their parents.

"Take some time to complete physical activity in family it is the most constructive way to get children to flee from the sedentary tendency, since they see an example in their own home and acquire this good habit from childhood to keep it for life, "says Dr. Carlos Maya, president of FEC.

Damián Montero

It may interest you:

- 5 sports to practice as a family

- Exercise in childhood

- How to choose the sport for your child

- Decalogue to start exercising

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