MedlinePlus: Exercise for Children

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Exercise for Children

Like adults, kids need exercise. Most children need at least an hour of physical activity every day. Regular exercise helps children

Feel less stressed
Feel better about themselves
Feel more ready to learn in school
Keep a healthy weight
Build and keep healthy bones, muscles and joints
Sleep better at night

As kids spend more time watching TV, they spend less time running and playing. Parents should limit TV, video game and computer time. Parents can set a good example by being active themselves. Exercising together can be fun for everyone. Competitive sports can help kids stay fit. Walking or biking to school, dancing, bowling and yoga are some other ways for kids to get exercise.

Start Here

BAM! Physical Activity(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Kids and Exercise(Nemours Foundation)

Basics	Learn More	Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews Latest News	Nutrition Specific Conditions Related Issues	Games
Research	Reference Shelf	For You
Clinical Trials Research Journal Articles	Dictionaries/Glossaries Organizations Statistics	MedlinePlus Magazine Children Teenagers

Overviews
- Exercise (Physical Activity) and Children(American Heart Association)
  Also available in Spanish
- Fitness for Kids: Getting Your Children off the Couch(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Latest News
- Sports May Ease Activity Decline during Teen Years(04/08/2009, Reuters Health)
- School PE Programs Don't Lower Child Obesity(03/30/2009, HealthDay)
- Many U.S. Middle School Kids Physically Unfit(03/25/2009, Reuters Health)
- Children Living Near Green Spaces Are More Active(03/12/2009, American Heart Association)
- More News on Exercise for Children
Nutrition
- Dehydration(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Healthy Eating and Physical Activity across Your Lifespan: Helping Your Child (Tips for Parents)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  Also available in Spanish
Specific Conditions
- Children and Sports: Choices for All Ages(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Fitness and Your 13- to 18-year-old(Nemours Foundation)
- Fitness and Your 2- to 3-Year-Old(Nemours Foundation)
- Fitness and Your 4-to 5-Year Old(Nemours Foundation)
- Fitness and Your 6- to 12-Year-Old(Nemours Foundation)
- Get Fit! A Handbook for Youth Ages 6-17(President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports) - Large PDF file
- Kickboxing(Nemours Foundation)
- Pilates(Nemours Foundation)
- Strength Training and Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
- T'ai Chi(Nemours Foundation)
- Yoga(Nemours Foundation)
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Related Issues
- Compulsive Exercise(Nemours Foundation)
- Fitness for Kids Who Don't Like Sports(Nemours Foundation)
- Motivating Kids to Be Active(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
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Games
- Powerful Girls Have Powerful Bones(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Exercise for Children(National Institutes of Health)
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Research
- Simple Exercise in Children Yields Long-Term Skeletal Benefit(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
- Teens Exercising Far Less Than Kids(Nemours Foundation)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight-Control Glossary(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Organizations
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
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Statistics
- Physical Activity and the Health of Young People(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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MedlinePlus Magazine
- 6 "Bests" About Kids' Exercise
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Children
- BAM! Physical Activity(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Fitness - Steps to a Healthy Life(National Women's Health Information Center)
- Getting Muscles(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- It's Time to Play(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
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Teenagers
- Cold-Weather Sports(Nemours Foundation)
- Motivation and the Power of Not Giving Up(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Sports and Exercise Safety(Nemours Foundation)
- Strength Training(Nemours Foundation)
- Stretching(Nemours Foundation)
- Take Charge of Your Health: A Teenager's Guide to Better Health(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Why Exercise Is Wise(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
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