Thursday, September 07, 2006

Children Need Vigorous Exercise to Combat Obesity

European research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proves that children need at least 40 minutes of vigorous exercise per day to help promote cardiovascular fitness and less body fat.  Intensity of activity showed a clear advantage over general physical activity. 

Intensity conditions the release of adrenaline to perform physical function.  Adrenaline is in synergistic balance with the hormone leptin, which determines how much fat should be stored.  Moderate physical activity, while better than being a couch potato, does not condition the fitness in this important metabolic system. 

The moral of the story for children is to take advantage of youth, exercise vigorously, and help prevent a lifetime of metabolic sluggishness with increased risk for disease.  These same principles apply to adults as well; however, intensity must be modulated by the ability to perform.  Slowly increasing intensity or mixing some intensity into a milder pace of exercise will help older individuals to get back on track.